MPES students Devlin Morrill and Michael Standley help Santa load the bus on Thursday morning. The Fill-A-Bus Campaign in aid of the Morinville Food Bank Society made its rounds to the schools and businesses picking up the boxes and bags of food and some toys. – Lucie Roy Photo
Lucie Roy Photos
Morinville – A much heavier Morinville Community Bus groaned over the weigh scales Thursday after collecting food throughout the community. Organizers of this year’s annual Fill-A-Bus are hoping to outdo the 7,469 pounds of food and $810 in cash donations collected last year for the Morinville Food Bank Society. Those expectations and goals seem likely after day one collected more than half of last year’s total.
The Fill-A-Bus hit the road Thursday morning, collecting food items from Morinville schools and businesses. From 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. the bus made the rounds to Morinville Public Elementary School, Notre Dame, Georges H. Primeau, and Morinville Community High School, each location trotting out loads of food donations for the cause carried by enthusiastic students. In between school visits the bus hit a number of local businesses, including Servus Credit Union, H&R Block, and Frontier Honda. Thursday’s collection totaled 3,858 pounds and $450 in cheques.
On Friday the bus, town staff, Food Bank Society members, community volunteers, and Santa Claus himself will set up at the No Frills from 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. and at Sobeys from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., giving residents an opportunity to pick up a little something along with their own grocery needs.
The food and funds will go a long way to helping the Morinville Food Bank Society in meeting their needs this Christmas season and beyond. With additional shelf space in their new location next to the arena, the Morinville Food Bank Society has been able to carry a larger inventory to help more people over the past year.
The line of students at Notre Dame Elementary School keeps coming and coming and coming. – Lucie Roy Photo
Georges H. Primeau School students make their way to the Community Bus Thursday afternoon. – Submitted Photo
The folks at Frontier Honda pose with the food bank donations they fit into a Honda Fit. Other business donations included Servus Credit Union and H&R Block. – Lucie Roy Photo
