Pleasant Valley High School’s Student Hunger Drive is in full swing. With the theme being Chopped: Spartan Edition, many teachers have already been cut, but for those who remain, the stakes are higher than ever.

The goal for this year is the equivalent of 60,000 pounds of food by Oct. 31. As of Oct. 19, Spartan Nation had collected just over 20,000 pounds; the Spartans are still many cans away from their goal, but the drive is not yet over. Last year, they were able to reach their goal and collected 60,737 pounds.

This week, the three teachers who collected the least amount of cans were eliminated, or “chopped,” as the theme suggests. As Aabha Joshi of Spartan Assembly said, “The amount of teachers that are chopped each week changes depending on the week’s challenge.” Challenges in the past have looked for the most weight or have been focused on high priority items such as peanut butter. 

Spartan Assembly has used many incentives to encourage people to donate. Though teachers cannot use them for grade boosters, many have come up with creative ideas. Jane Wheeler, PE teacher, offered a free gym day for classes that brought in enough cans. Other teachers offer extensions or alternate assignment options for participating students. Even Mojo, the school’s service dog, allowed kids to take selfies or take him to class in exchange for cans.

Though the Chopped theme provides competition and fun, students remember the real reason the hunger drive takes place: to help those in the community that are food insecure. As Alton Barber, Student Hunger Drive Ambassador, said, “The impact that the SHD has on the community is easy to see when you go and meet the people that are receiving the food.”

Barber says regardless of whether the recipients are young or old, they are the reason he likes donating. “They treat everybody so well and show their thankfulness and appreciation in everything they do.”