Revamped Spirit Night, first period collections kick off Second Harvest season

First period teachers have added a big item to their to-do lists, and Bearden’s SGA is hoping this is one task that gets checked off the list. On Sept. 1, first block teachers asked students to bring in Second Harvest donations for the first time this year. This marked the beginning of Bearden Student Government’s biggest annual project, the can drive competition against Farragut High School. Results are traditionally revealed at the Bearden-Farragut games, scheduled for Oct. 6 this year. “We’ve already got some donations,” SGA President Ben Reeves said. “It feels really good to get the Second Harvest season started.” Last year, Bearden won the can drive by a large margin, raising a total of 247,597 pounds of food, or $61,000. For the past three years, Bearden has broken its own record for the largest non-corporate donation ever made to Second Harvest. SGA hopes to beat this record once again under Mrs. Rachel Harmon’s new leadership this year. “I thought it would be more stressful than it has been in years past, but actually, because we have a good group, it’s been less stressful,” Mrs. Harmon said. “Everyone has a job, they know what they’re doing, and it’s been going smoothly.” Most of these “jobs” involve preparation for the fundraising events SGA has planned for the month of September. Upcoming festivities include Spirit Night, Electro Night, and Flick on the Field. Spirit Night is scheduled for Monday from 6 to 10 p.m. This year, SGA has added Powderpuff Football and Male Cheerleading, a shopping cart parade, and an assortment of club booths. Spirit night will also be open to the public. Tickets are priced at $5 for students and $6 for adults; kids 5 and under attend for free. Electro Night will be held on Sept. 22. The party will be similar to last year’s, with glow sticks, techno music, and dancing. On the same night, SGA also plans to host Flick on the Field, another event held last year in which students are invited onto Bearden’s football field for an evening of food, fun, and a film projected onto a giant outdoor screen. Mrs. Harmon also confirmed that a benefit concert is in its planning phase. The Leadership class has also been successful with potential sponsors. SGA already has six locations for restaurant nights, where businesses agree to donate a percentage of the evening’s profits. Restaurants include Chili’s, Chick-fil-A, Moe’s, Mooyah, and Brixx Pizza. Students will also collect money and cans outside of grocery stores each Saturday in September. “Our Leadership is going to make sure we uphold the tradition of Bearden winning,” Principal Dr. John Bartlett said. SGA is excited about one more new idea for this year’s fundraising, but at this point, Reeves and his fellow leaders are not revealing too much. “Just be on the lookout for Mr. Second Harvest,” Reeves said. To receive updates for upcoming events for Second Harvest, follow @BeardenBARK and @BeardenSGA on Twitter.