With the success of the Feed My Starving Children event (FMSC) over the last three years, more volunteers have joined the challenge to break last year’s record.  

“FMSC is about bringing our school together for a purpose that goes beyond ourselves,” event organizer Mark Poulterer said. “It is a way to connect ourselves with the world around us and to serve people who are less fortunate than we are, or who at the very least, don’t have the material benefits that we do.”

The first all-school FMSC event was in February 2016 with 125 students and adults participating.

Poulterer realized the opportunity the event gives to others to make a difference and connect to the world.

“It’s a really easy way to make a difference and see that difference in action.  So often we collect money or have a clothing drive, but we aren’t able to see where that money or those items are going,” Poulterer said. “When you are pouring rice, soy powder, and vegetables into the bags and watching those bags fill boxes and then write the names of the countries where those boxes will be shipped, you connect with the service you are participating in.”

Clubs participating this year are Compass, International Club, Ola’as, ROAR, Snowball, WeGo Global, FCCL, HOSA, Writing Club, AVID, Dance Team, SRC, girls volleyball, girls basketball, and French Club.

Due to contract issues last year, the event was delayed for a month and they were still able to break records.

“The contract issues that caused the club shutdown was a great loss for students and really painful for the teachers who were unable to run those clubs. However, when the contract was taken care of we jumped into action and were able to reschedule the event. The energy was electric,” Poulterer said. “The goal was to break the record set previously of packing 223 boxes in 90 minutes.  We broke that record with 268 boxes. That means we packed 57,888 meals. Most importantly, it means we fed 159 kids for an entire year.”

If students want to participate and are not involved in a club they can still pick up a permission slip in room 129.  

“The only requirement is that they be ready to work hard and pack more than 268 boxes,” Poulterer said.

Students going will meet in commons Feb. 21 at 4:15 p.m. and have dinner before heading to FMSC.

Poulterer hopes to keep the tradition “as long as students come.  I’d love to see it continue to grow.”

The energy and popularity reflect the success of the event.

“There is so much racial, political, economic, religious tension in this country right now.  It makes me sick. We seem to be working harder than ever to curb those tensions with programs, planning, and training.  And yet, those tensions and that inequality just grow. This event destroys all those barriers,” Poulterer said. “It’s not about trying to force connections.  It’s about working for a common goal. That’s how deeper friendships are built. Working alongside people while making a difference in the world.”