WCHS is doing their part to be generous this holiday season. Monday December 7 through Friday, December 11, the annual Canned Food Drive will be happening at WCHS to help those in need in our community. Social Studies teacher Mr. Michael Sunderhaus also helps our community with his own canned food drive and a “No Shave November”  event every year.

The canned food drive is a yearly event where WCHS students and staff bring in can food goods or hygienic products to help the less fortunate for the holiday season.The canned food drive has been going on at WCHS for nearly 20 years. We Can Help Serve is in charge of the canned food drive along with We Can Help Serve advisers, Mrs. Lori Ferguson, Ms. Jen Parks and Ms. Kerri Vanderpool.

The canned goods go to the West Carrollton Food Pantry at Memorial United Methodist Church. The canned goods are then distributed to people in need. Mrs.Ferguson said, “I absolutely love the canned food drive. It is so much fun and is a great way for the high school to give back to our community.”

All of the cans WCHS donates benefit the people in need and WCHS. The high school learns to give back and learns about the sacrifices most people make in life. It benefits the people who receive the canned goods by giving them a holiday dinner they can’t afford. The drive also helps people feed themselves and their families if they do not have the money.

Mr. Sunderhaus has a way of getting canned donations early. He hosts a canned food drive himself every year that starts at the end of October and ends the day before Christmas Break. He also hosts a “No Shave November” contest. The contest is that he grows his beard out as much as he can throughout November and right before Christmas Break the student with the most donated canned goods gets to pick the design of his beard. Mr. Sunderhaus said, “I am more then happy to put my face on the line if it gets the students to give a little bit extra as we head into the holiday season.”

Mr. Sunderhaus does the “No Shave November” contest because while some people think of “No Shave November” as an excuse not to shave or to get a good laugh, that is not the original intent. Just like the color pink brings awareness to breast cancer in October, the beards grown by men in November is supposed to have a charabital cause behind it. That way when somebody comments on your beard, you can respond with something like “Thanks, I’m growing this beard in honor of…” Mr. Sunderhaus said, “Therefore, when somebody asks about my (attempted) beard, I state with pride that I am growing my beard because my students cared enough about their community to donate canned goods to the local food pantry.”

The canned food drive is an amazing way to help give back to our community and to learn the meaning of sacrifices to bring everyone together and get in a little holiday spirit. If everyone in school just saved $1, we could produce 1,600 items in the Food Pantry. Just one can makes a huge difference when it comes to helping those in need.

“ Sometimes we take for granted all of the good things we have in life. I know I do. Charitable events like the canned food drive remind us of how fortunate we are, and how it’s our duty as human beings to take care of each other in times of need,” Mr. Sunderhaus said.

One thing WCHS might keep in mind: historically, the WCMS beats WCHS every year when donating canned goods.