The second annual Great Ignation challenge is underway. It kicked off at an all school assembly Oct.18 and will end Nov.17. All processions go towards the St Patrick Center to help feed homeless families in the St. Louis area.
“This challenge is always an exciting time,” student organizer Patrick Scally 24’ said. “So everyone brings cans, it’s for a good cause and that’s what De Smet is all about.”
Last year the school collected 12 tons of food. That served 1344 households and the food lasted them almost five months. This year’s goals for the school are to collect 20 tons of food. 40 pounds of food per person, and feed St Patrick’s center for six months. If all is completed, the students will get Dec. 8 off.
To help kick off the campaign, the school will once again “Stuff the Bus” at the football game that kicks off the challenge. There will be a bus parked in the Emerson lot and the goal is to fill it with 3000 pounds of food.
“This year in football we have had some pretty awesome victories,” head football coach John Merrit said at the assembly. “We beat Vianney, we beat Chaminade, we beat SLUH, we beat CBC, and now we are at the most important game of the season: WE ARE GOING TO BEAT HUNGER!”
In lunch there were spartan wraps, all proceeds will go to the St. Patrick Center. The class that brought the most food on Thursday will get a dress-down day Oct. 27. The class with the most cans at the game will also get a free dress-down day.
“I know it might be a can of soup or a can of green beans, but it’s so much more,” St Patrick Center representative Katerine Matus said. “It’s the dignity that someone has to come and then they don’t have to worry about paying rent or buying food and come in and shop like anyone else.”
