Reed Students Open Hearts — And Pantries —

In Memory Of 9/11

By Larissa Lytwyn

The notices went out on Monday.

By Friday, said Anthony Salvatore, assistant principal of Reed Intermediate School, 1,196 canned goods — from hamburger helper to canned beans to tuna — filled the front lobby.

“Our goal was to collect 911 canned goods,” said Mr Salvatore. “We have about 900 students, plus about 100 faculty. But, as you will see, we far exceeded that goal!”

The idea was conceived in the beginning of the school year, said Mr Salvatore, by teachers in acknowledgement of 9/11.

In addition to canned goods, some donations even included toiletries, such as toilet paper. Other items included baby food and gourmet goods.

“Everyone just did a great job!” Mr Salvatore exclaimed.

There was no competition between classes or rewards of pizza parties for highest-donating participants, said Mr Salvatore. “We didn’t want to lose sight of the real reason we were doing this,” said Mr Salvatore. “This was for the victims of 9/11, for their families and for the survivors!”

He said the school plans to contact the town’s Salvation Army food pantry, currently facing a dearth of donations, over the next few days.

“We’ll probably deliver the goods sometime next week,” he said.