Maryland Students Rise to the Challenge Helping Those in Need
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), in collaboration with the Maryland Food Bank and Harvest for the Hungry, celebrate the civic outreach efforts of 573 Maryland public schools that collected 407,297 pounds of food and more than $123,180, to donate to local food banks through the Kids Helping Kids Campaign.
Now in its 21st year, the Kids Helping Kids (KHK) Campaign is a three-week service-learning project which provides students with the opportunity to learn about hunger while collecting food for their local food banks. The food banks then distribute the food to children in need across the state. The KHK Campaign reinforces the development of Maryland public school’s service-learning requirement. As in previous years, winning schools will receive books valued between $200 – $1,200 from Scholastic Books.
“Over the past 20 years, the Maryland State Department of Education has made enormous contributions to reducing hunger in Maryland,” said Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools. “Maryland public schools have donated well over a million pounds of food. This is what today’s celebration is all about – caring and assisting those less fortunate.”
The top five Maryland public schools that lead in food collections and recognized at MSDE included:
• South River High School in Anne Arundel County – 12,698 lbs.
• Marriotts Ridge High School in Howard County – 7,822 lbs.
• Cockeysville Middle School in Baltimore County – 6,662 lbs.
• Davidson Elementary School in Anne Arundel County – 6,021 lbs.
• Hillsmere Elementary School in Anne Arundel County – 5,600 lbs.
The top five Maryland public schools that lead in monetary collections for their food banks and recognized at MSDE included:
• South River High School in Anne Arundel County – $38,396
• Leonardtown High School in St. Mary’s County – $12,614
• Davidson Elementary School in Anne Arundel County – $11,185
• Central Elementary School in Anne Arundel County – $6,701
• Central Middle School in Anne Arundel County – $6,242
In addition, 21 schools that are their school system’s highest donor of pounds of food were also commended today, include:
| Top School by County | School Name | Pounds Collected |
| Allegany | South Penn Elementary | 1,264 |
| Anne Arundel | South River Senior School | 12,698 |
| Baltimore City | Roland Park Elementary School | 1,738 |
| Baltimore Co. | Cockeysville Middle School | 6,662 |
| Caroline | Greensboro Elementary | 1,731 |
| Carroll | Oklahoma Road Middle School | 1,340 |
| Cecil | North East High School | 494 |
| Charles | Mary B. Neal Elementary | 2,917 |
| Dorchester | Sandy Hill Elementary School | 1,874 |
| Frederick | Tuscarora High School | 2,600 |
| Garrett | Swan Meadow | 1,355 |
| Howard | Marriotts Ridge High School | 7,822 |
| Montgomery | Winston Churchill High School | 5,109 |
| Prince George’s | Cora L. Rice Elementary School | 4,000 |
| Queen Anne’s | Centerville Elementary School | 1,041 |
| Somerset | Washington High School | 813 |
| St. Mary’s | Great Mills High | 3,280 |
| Talbot | White Marsh Elementary School | 380 |
| Washington | Maugansville Elementary | 1,912 |
| Wicomico | North Salisbury Elementary School |
2,136 |
| Worcester | Stephen Decatur Middle School | 3,965 |
Next year’s Kids Helping Kids Campaign will take place October 17 through November 4, 2011.
