Every year, Pine Bend Elementary School holds a food drive leading up to their annual Barnyard Bonanza. The Bonanza is an all-school assembly where classes cheer on their entries into a toy pig race. This year, students celebrated their food drive success at the assembly, and they got an additional reward for reaching their food drive goal. 

Throughout November, Pine Bend collected food for Neighbors Inc., which provides social services for northern Dakota County residents in need. Classes collected more than 2,000 pounds of food to stock the shelves of the organization’s food pantry ahead of the holidays and winter months.

Students celebrated their work at the Barnyard Bonanza assembly, where classes race electronic toy pigs that walk and waddle on their own. During the food drive, students had the chance to earn extra entries into the race by collecting more food items. Classes earned an additional race entry for every 100 pounds of food their class donated, increasing their chances of winning their race! At the assembly, students cheered as a representative from their class started their toy pig and set them off across a platform. The pig from Ms. Arndorfer’s class made its way across the platform first and took the big pig trophy while the pig from Ms. Buntin’s class won the little pig trophy in a second race.

Bonanza organizer and Phy. Ed. Teacher Kelly Darrow had one last celebration for students ahead of the school break. She dressed like a turkey for the school’s Turkey Bingo, keeping her promise to dress up if students reached their food drive goal!

Thank you to everyone who helped students learn, first-hand, about the school’s community commitment and how they can make positive change in the world no matter their age! 

The Neighbors Inc. food shelf will have additional Distribution Days this December. Residents can stop by Neighbors Inc., 222 Grand Avenue West in South St. Paul, any Wednesday of the month – except December 24 – between 4:00 and 6:00 PM for no-appointment food distribution. These Distribution Days will be held in addition to the organization's usual Distribution Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-3 PM, and the third Saturday of every month, 10-11:30 AM. Learn more at neighborsmn.org.