Rum River Against Hunger event celebrates 10th anniversary
Students at Rum River Elementary School in Andover spent their day giving back on May 11 by packing thousands of meals for children and families struggling with hunger.
The annual event, called Rum River Against Hunger, marked its 10th anniversary at the school and has resulted in more than 500,000 meals packed and shipped to those in need. The school partners with a nonprofit called Impact Lives that provides the food and materials needed for the meals, and classrooms volunteer in shifts throughout the day to get the meals packed. The gym is filled with tables that serve as packing stations, and every student gets the opportunity to participate.
The event has become such a big part of the school’s culture that Principal Deb Shepard said she can’t imagine not having it.
“I definitely feel it’s the favorite day of the year,” she said. “The kids are proud and excited, and I think it resonates with them that the majority of this food is going to other children. And anytime we can give our kids opportunities to learn about global issues, especially when it’s hands-on learning, I think it’s a great fit for an elementary school.” (See photos from this year's event.)
The school spends the entire year fundraising to reach the $10,000 needed to pack and ship about 50,000 meals to countries like Haiti, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
“Because we find it important that every child be able to participate, we try to come up with fundraising efforts that aren’t extravagant. That’s why it takes us all year to raise the money, because we raise it a little bit at a time, which allows all families to contribute if they choose to,” Shepard said.
Fundraising efforts range from Hat Day, where students pay $1 to wear a hat to school, to aluminum can drives and t-shirt sales. Families also donate money, and some students have even taken it upon themselves to raise funds outside of school with lemonade stands and craft sales. Shepard said one student asked friends not to bring gifts to his birthday party but to bring donations for Rum River Against Hunger instead.
“So it really does impact them,” she said. “They’re taking it outside of the school and doing their own efforts. So that’s cool to see.”
Community members often volunteer to help out at the event, including local politicians, parents and even high school students. This year, the Andover Fire Department was on hand to help haul bags of food and restock supplies throughout the day.
“It’s fun to get everybody involved and see that we can work together,” said teacher Renee Blue, who brought the idea of the event to the school ten years ago after learning about Impact Lives at another school district. “Just seeing the kids’ faces light up…I saw one kindergartener smiling ear to ear after looking in the gym and seeing what they were going to be doing.”
Each classroom volunteers for a 30-minute shift. Students not only pack the meals, they also get a chance to taste them. A mix of chicken, soy, rice and dehydrated vegetables, the meals were developed by scientists to be nutritionally balanced for those facing malnutrition and hunger. Some kids like the meals, and some really don’t, Shepard said. Which is a learning experience in and of itself, because that might be the only meal that somebody in need is getting for the day, she said.
“I think it’s an impactful day for many reasons. Not only because we come together as a school community, but the kids truly can see how important it is to help other people who don’t have food daily. So they know and can appreciate what they have and what maybe other people don’t have,” she said. “And I think they feel really good about helping other people.”
Fifth-grader Rhett Lebeau, who has participated in Rum River Against Hunger since he was in kindergarten, said he looks forward to the event every year.
“It makes me feel really great that I get to help children in other countries that are suffering from malnutrition and make an impact on their lives,” he said. “And I think that it helps other kids feel that they are really lucky to live in the U.S., and they feel really aware after doing this about what other children are facing around the world.”