Our Great Bend Schools Competition, Sponsored by Gifting Forward

The Great Bend Schools Competition, sponsored by Gifting Forward, has partnered with Wheatland Electric’s annual Power the Pantry food drive for 11 years.

Our collective goal is to collect cash and can donations for the Community Food Bank of Barton County! 

In 2025, the competition raised over FIVE TONS of food to benefit the local food bank. Students from 12 area schools participated in the friendly food drive, collecting 10,944 pounds during November 2025.

Gifting Forward has generously sponsored $1,500 in cash prizes again this year for our 2025 competition. Prizes are awarded to the top four schools with the highest pounds of food donated per student.

All donations – both cash and can – are delivered to the Community Food Bank of Barton County, just ahead of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons.

Our 2025 collection brings the combined 10-year collection total in Great Bend to over 103,000 pounds. That’s over 51 tons of cash and non-perishable food items donated since the inception of Power the Pantry (formerly Cram the Van’s) in 2014 ($1 donation = 1 lb. of food).

“This event empowers our local students to make a difference by supporting those in need, while teaching them the meaningful impact of small acts of kindness. Through their efforts, they experience how every contribution, no matter the size, can profoundly affect the lives of others,” said Alli Conine, director of member services and corporate communication for WEC. “All of this is made possible through the continued generosity and support of Gifting Forward.”