As Second Harvest season arrives for another year at Bearden, SGA is working to ensure that both student involvement and donations to Second Harvest remain high. This year, SGA plans to add new fundraisers alongside fundraisers from past years.

Mrs. Rachel Harmon said that this year SGA is doing a take on the traditional parking lot competition, but “with a twist;” underclassmen will be involved as well. The class who wins receives the Pit for a week. If the seniors win, they will get a party in the Pit.

SGA student president Katherine Krouse said that new fundraisers also include a benefit concert and Second Harvest T-shirts. As in the past, Spirit Night, Electronight, food for sale, powder puff, and games will continue to raise money for Second Harvest.

SGA’s goal for this year is $50,000, at least; that means an average of $25 per student. If a student comes to spirit night and buys dinner ($10), Participates in 10 in 10 ($5), gives $1 a week in class competitions ($8), and participates in Make a Change ($2), the goal will be met, Krouse said.

Another aspiration of the SGA is to increase student involvement.

“We have a goal to put ‘students’ back in ‘The Student Government Association’ this year,” Mrs. Harmon said. “We are trying to show students that we could not do this without them, and it is the students of BHS that make us such a blessing to Second Harvest.”

Without Farragut competing against Bearden, it is harder to get students to participate, Krouse said.

“After seeing how the students reacted last year, I am very worried,” Krouse said.

SGA asked many other local high schools to compete with Bearden, but was turned down each time.

“We hope that students will continue to give and participate as they always have as a ‘Proud Tradition of Excellence’ despite other schools not wanting to compete with us,” Mrs. Harmon said. “We hope that we can demonstrate again that we as a school care about ending hunger and not beating another school.”

Money that is donated to Second Harvest often goes to students at elementary schools like Belle Morris and Christenberry. These students may have no meals overnight and on weekends, Krouse said.

Mrs. Harmon said that the SGA is focusing more on informing students about what Second Harvest does.

“We want them to understand that we don’t want their money, but to understand that their contributions help fight hunger,” Mrs. Harmon said.

Ultimately, SGA wants to provide a substantial amount of money to Second Harvest.

“We do not want to let Second Harvest down,” Krouse said. “And we want to help Bearden continue its ‘Tradition of Excellence.’”

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