A joint effort between two Penticton high schools has led to 13,600 items collected for the local food bank.
Leadership students from Penticton Secondary and Princess Margaret Secondary blew past their fundraising goal this week for the annual 10,000 Tonight campaign.
“It truly was an amazing experience watching students, staff, and family members come together, volunteering for such a wonderful cause,” the latter wrote on social media.
Students and volunteers collected donations left on doorsteps Thursday, Nov. 23.
Representatives from the student-led campaign say there are still more items to count, and that any food items that were missed can be brought to either school.
The 10,000 Tonight initiative comes ahead of the Toys for Tots to Teens event, which runs at Penticton Secondary on Dec. 7.
The event — organized by students, volunteers and staff from Penticton Provides — invites people to donate toys or gifts for children aged 0 to 18.
In 2022, more than 1,000 toys had been collected in the event’s first two hours. The fundraiser includes breakfast and live entertainment inside Penticton Secondary through the morning of Dec. 7.
READ MORE: In 2 hours, Toys for Tots and Teens exceeds their 1,000 goal at Penticton Secondary