This Friday, Cherry Hill West hosted its first-ever Food Drive Challenge from 12:00am to 2:00 p.m. outside the Jones Gym. In this challenge, about 14 student groups challenged others via social media for a chance to win gift certificates to Pat’s Steaks.

This is the first time that West has done an event like this. As of now, because the food drive is so new, there is no clear goal.

“This will probably be the beginning of something,” said a collector. “Our goal would be next year…we’re happy with what we’ve got.”

The drop-off took place outdoors and most donors never left their cars. Less than twenty minutes into the event, it looked like a success: numerous boxes and canned goods sat behind and on the table. Although operating under icy conditions, the thirty degree weather did not inhibit students from showing up to support their teams.

However, winning the gift certificates wasn’t the only objective of the students donating to the Food Pantry Challenge; the food received by the teams will go to the Cherry Hill Food Drive for distribution. With the incoming holiday season and COVID-19 crisis, donating is especially important during this crucial time.

“Not having enough money for daily necessities like food is a problem that needs to be addressed,” said a West student.

That much is true; a recent Household Pulse survey released by the U.S Census Bureau reported that about 10% of Americans struggle with food insecurity during the pandemic. Compared to the 3.7% of Americans who said they struggled with eating regularly in 2019, this is an alarming rise in numbers.

Food insecurity is not a new problem to Cherry Hill, but events like the Cherry Hill West Food Drive Challenge help combat these problems. Results of the challenge will be coming out the day of the collection, representatives say.