DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — As ABC11 prepares for our 40th annual ABC11 Together Food Drivewe are highlighting people and efforts that have made a difference during the past four decades.
Among them is a record-setting food drive organized 15 years ago by students at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham that began with an idea to become a record-setting gathering of nerds.
Ryan O’Donnell, an NCSSM alumnus and one of the student leaders behind the effort, said the food drive campaign began with an ambitious goal.
“It all got started in 2010. We wanted to break the world record. We came up a little shy. We only raised about 300,000 pounds of food and came back the next year with more partners, more volunteers, more students, and we broke it in 2011 with little over half a million pounds of food,” O’Donnell said.
The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics is a high school within the University of North Carolina System. O’Donnell said the school’s culture helped drive the effort.
“The best thing about NCSSM is it brings together so many students from across the whole state, and they all want to do something big,” he said.
The food drive effort followed an unsuccessful attempt by students to create a different world record.
Students initially wanted to set a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of nerds, but the category was not approved.
They later turned their attention to establishing a record for the largest 24-hour food drive at a single location.
“All the students, they really care about making a difference, and we all got together; we want to do it. One thing that NCSSM is all about is accepting the greater challenge, so if you go to a food drive, we’re going to go all out and really do it as big as we possibly can,” O’Donnell said.
The school’s Guinness World Record still stands for the largest 24-hour food drive at a single location, with 559,885 pounds of food collected.
The donations went to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.
The school’s Guinness World Record still stands for the largest 24-hour food drive at a single location, with 559,885 pounds of food collected.
Sue Anne Lewis, an instructor at the school, said the record itself was only part of the motivation behind the campaign.
“You know it’s not about the Guinness World Record; you know that’s fun and that’s what drives people to come out and participate, because who doesn’t want to participate in this world record? But it’s really about helping people and providing for those who need a hand,” Lewis said.
O’Donnell said the experience inspired many students to continue finding ways to serve their communities.
“For myself and a lot of other students who are part of the food drive, it lit a spark in them to find ways to keep making a big impact long after the food drive is up,” he said.
As ABC11 prepares for the 40th annual ABC11 Together Food Drive, O’Donnell encouraged others to support efforts to fight hunger.
“If you are in a position where you can make a difference, like grab those couple extra items and donate because we need it. And it’s a great way for people to get involved and just make a difference,” he said.
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Source: abc11.com
