Student representatives from Washington School helped load the grocery carts of food they brought for the Barnes County Food Pantry into this Coca Cola truck. In back, from left, are Cindy Waagen, manager of MarketPlace Foods and Nicole Sufficool, Service Learning coordinator for Valley City Public Schools, who organized the community effort; students: Jacob Miller, Marissa Hochstetler, Sarah Montecuollo and Emily McKay; Josh Plecity of MarketPlace; Coca Cola driver, Jon Schrenk; and Harold Hennings, Coca Cola accounts manager; and front, from left, Cody Halverson and Dalton Ondracek. (Jean Schlegel/VCTR) 

By Jean Schlegel
Valley City Times-Record

A huge community project called "Stuff a Truck" helped replenish the shelves at the Barnes County Food Pantry this week.
Cindy Waagen, manager of MarketPlace Foods, and Nicole Sufficool, Valley City Public Schools’ Service Learning director, organized the involvement of Valley City Public Schools, St. Catherine School, KOVC,  Coca Cola and the Valley City Times-Record.
The elementary schools of Washington, Jefferson and St. Catherine, brought non-perishable food items and paper goods for the food pantry, according to Sufficool. "They only had a week-and-a-half to do this," she said.
Waagen said this is the third year for the project and it was the most successful this year. The kids not only raised more money, but more non-perishable food items were also turned in by both the students and the community.
Washington School Principal Wayne Denault was happy with the way the students and staff embraced the challenge.
The Junior and Senior High Schools held a "Penny War" to raise money for the food pantry. The older students seem to enjoy doing this more if they can compete against each other, Sufficool said.
Each grade received a money jug which was placed in the English rooms. It was a competition between grades seven and eight, and competition between grades nine through 12.
The students tried to get as many pennies in their jugs as they could to win. The pennies counted as positive currency and any silver coins or bills counted as negative currency, and jeopardized the team's chance to win. The classes could jeopardize other grades by putting silver (nickels, dimes or quarters) in their jugs.
The senior class won because their value was higher, even though the junior class raised more money.
"The grand total raised this year was $1,240.98, which was about $100 more than last year!" Sufficool said.
Once the money was "cashed" in, the Student Council members bought food with it and that was put in the Coca Cola truck on the day of the Stuff a Truck event.
JoAnn Korf, director of the Barnes County Food Pantry, was happy with all the donations from the Stuff a Truck project. “It's wonderful we're getting all these donations. The Coke truck was full, plus some loose items,” she said. Korf added they have been receiving many donations to fill the shelves from churches, individuals and organizations, and they are in better shape this year than last year.
The Student Council played a huge part in getting the Stuff a Truck event advertised throughout the school, and getting people involved at the high school. Student Council advisers are Terri LeGrand and Kristi Schenenko.