At the conclusion of this year's successful food drive, Sandy Hook Elementary School held a Turkey Trot celebration on Wednesday, November 23.

For the food drive students were divided into five teams: orange, purple, red, blue, and green. Each team was made up of two pairs of buddy classes - assigned older and younger classes that meet throughout the year. Physical education teacher and event organizer Jaclyn Lloyd was dressed in a range of colors for the day, representing all five teams. To show team support, students made signs for the event.

Ms Lloyd welcomed students into the school's gymnasium for the celebration.

"Go blue! Go blue!" seated students cheered as classes entered.

"Green! Green! Green!" another group chanted.

This year's food drive supported the annual Women Involved in Newtown (WIN) Thanksgiving Basket Program, which supplies food to local families for the holiday season through Newtown Social Services. In the 2015-16 school year Ms Lloyd said the school's food drive amassed 2,420 items for the collection, and this year's drive surpassed that with roughly 2,600 items. Other schools and local groups also helped this year's Thanksgiving Basket Program.

"That is awesome," Ms Lloyd said after announcing this year's total to the all-school assembly. "You did a great job."

School educators and staff also wore color-themed outfits for the day, and when it was time for the teams to trot around the school's gymnasium, the adults joined them. As each team made its way around the perimeter of the room, the rest of the school supported the team with clapping and cheering.

The teams were judged for raising items for the collection, having the best signs, displaying the most team color, and for showing sportsmanship. The purple team collected the most items for the drive, followed by the green team's collection. The red team was named for having the best signs, the orange team earned recognition for wearing the most team color, and the blue team was named for displaying sportsmanship qualities, which Sandy Hook School Principal Kathy Gombos said was the award "closest to my heart."

Near the end of the assembly Ms Lloyd said, "We are thankful for so many things in our lives and in our school," before sharing a video with the students. The video featured reasons students are thankful at Sandy Hook School. Some of the reasons the video shared were family, school, shelter, food, water, SHS, and the special people in their lives.