Revell Ford, local schools, band together to ‘scare hunger’

Jeff Green | Nov 08, 2019

Working with Ford Canada and the charity WE, Revell Ford in Verona challenged three local schools, Prince Charles PS (Verona), Harrowsmith PS and St. Patrick Catholic School (Harrowsmith), to help collect food items for the Southern Frontenac Community Services Food Bank.

It was all part of a Halloween themed promotion “We Scare Hunger” and even though the schools were approached just a few days before Halloween, they took up the challenge with a lot of energy. The goal was to have each of the schools gather at least one food item for every student and staff member in the school community, about 1,000 items. And as a sweetener, Revell offered to donate $500 to each school that met or surpassed that total.

By the time Halloween rolled around, three trucks were loaded up with over 1,800 food items for the food bank, including 150 or so from Revell employees, and the dealership was out $1,500.

At Harrowsmith PS, the first stop the Revell employees went to on their pickup route, Vicki England, the food bank co-ordinator was on hand to receive the food, as some students gathered around for a photo op with the crew from Revell’s.

“This is fantastic,” England said as the packed shopping carts, courtesy of Trousdale’s Foodland, were wheeled out to the waiting truck. The students jumped up and off to the gym where the music was booming because Thursday is lunch hour Zumba time at HPS.

England talked to one of the teachers about the food bank supplying a list of most needed items for the Christmas food drive, as newly minted HPS Principal James MacDonald folded up the real cheque from Revell and put it away, before he also went off to Zumba.

The Revell crew moved off to St. Patrick, and finished up at Prince Charles. By the time they got back to the dealership, there was just enough time to gather up the Revell donations so the convoy could make it to the Food Bank in Sydenham for unloading and stacking on the shelves.

“It was awesome, overwhelming,” said Brad Revell, who coordinated the event for the dealership. “It was nice to connect with the schools. We have always been involved in the community, it’s who we are … and seeing how the kids respond to the needs is a good sign for the future of our community, because they will be working here and running their own businesses some day.

Vicki England said that this latest effort is one of a number, in recent weeks, that have helped the food bank keep its shelves full.

“The South Frontenac fire fighters held a big event just last week and Stuff the Cruiser [OPP] happened in October as well. The local spirit is strong,” she said.