Bearden SGA is hosting a can drive for Second Harvest. Students are encouraged to bring in canned food that is not damaged or expired; cans are the main focus of this drive, but SGA will also accept other items.

“We will also take any fruit cups, pudding cups, granola bars, instant oatmeal, cereal boxes, and peanut butter crackers,” senior SGA member Eva Karnowski said.

Second Harvest uses these donated goods for their Food for Kids program which provides food to school-age children. There are currently around 200,000 people hungry in East Tennessee according to Second Harvest, so Bearden is working to help those in need.

Bearden has been involved with Second Harvest for a number of years and previously competed with Farragut to see who could bring in the most cans.

“It is estimated that the two schools contributed over 900,000 meals to Second Harvest through this canned food drive,” Karnowski said of the years when the competition still was going on.

While Farragut has focused more on supporting the Love Kitchen, Bearden continues to work with Second Harvest to eradicate hunger in East Tennessee. Fall of 2011 was the final year of the competition.

In order to encourage students to bring in cans, SGA has created a competition between first block classes. The students are supposed to drop off cans in their first block. The teachers then put the cans in a Trader Joe’s bag. SGA collects and counts the cans every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. However, if the student wishes to donate but does not have a first block, there is a white bin located outside the library entrance in the West Mall.

SGA is offering prizes to the classes with the first and second most cans.

“The first block class that brings in the most cans will receive a Chick-Fil-A breakfast from SGA,” Karnowski said. “The first block class that brings in the second most cans will receive a donut breakfast from SGA.”

The can drive lasts until Nov. 29, so be sure to bring in your cans to your first block class.