At Air Academy High School, students are bringing in money and cans to help those less fortunate through the Harvest of Love charity program. It is a school-wide event that has spanned the past few weeks. This event is part of a competition within the city of Colorado Springs, as schools all around the city are trying to have the biggest impact on those around them and make their school proud.

Besides the fun competition, this is part of a bigger cause: helping the community of Colorado Springs.  The large volumes of food will go to a Care and Share facility that will provide food for families in need right here in the Springs. Student council (StuCo) has organized this event and is advertising it all around the school.

“I think it is really important to try and help as a school. It is an easy way to provide because you just bring the cans and Harvest of Love will do the rest,” stated sophomore Bailey Spriggs. “I also think we need to do better this year because we were one of the lowest participating schools last year.”

In addition to making a difference for our community, there is a lot of fun built around the competition, such as multiple rewards for donating both school-wide and city-wide. At AAHS, the Kadet Time class that brings in the most pounds of food will receive a prize, and there will also be a reward for the grade level that collects the most pounds of food before the charity event ends. Outside of AAHS, there is a prize for the Colorado Springs school that provides the most pounds of food. The idea behind these rewards is to motivate and get students excited about being part of helping their surrounding community.

“I have always participated in these type of events and it is one of the most important charities because we are helping out the people in our own backyards. I also think that it is a great way to get our whole school and community involved in a city-based event,” stated freshman Paige Diehl.

This charity event is not just strictly for donating cans, as people can donate money as well. One pound of food is equivalent to one dollar; every dollar can make a difference. StuCo also scheduled a dodgeball tournament for teams to participate in at a cost of $20. There was also a “space jam” themed dance that gave people the opportunity to have fun while also contributing to the charity event.  All the money from both the dodgeball tournament and the dance will go directly to the charity.

Sophomore Tessa Morse, a StuCo member stated, “The Harvest of Love is super important – the impact one student can make is often underestimated. Simply bringing in a couple of cans from your pantry has high potential and can make a big impact on someone.”

Harvest of love is an opportunity for students to have some fun, while making a difference for those less fortunate than them just in time for the holidays.