By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



Even though high schools are battling it out on the football field this time of year, two schools have initiated a battle of a different sort.

Gardendale High School has challenged Mortimer Jordan High School to a canned-food drive during the month of October.

The food collected at Gardendale will go to the food bank at Gardendale First Baptist Church, while Mortimer Jordan’s donations will go to the food bank at Warrior’s WaterStone Baptist Church, formerly called Warrior First Baptist Church.

Elizabeth McCurry, theater arts teacher at Gardendale High School, said both schools will have drop-boxes available the night of the Gardendale/Mortimer Jordan game, which will be at Gardendale’s Driver Stadium on Oct. 30.

The leading school will be announced at the game. The school that collects the most food, by weight, on Nov. 1 will win the contest.

“We thought this was a great way to make the (football) rivalry more community-based,” said McCurry. “People who attend the game are asked to bring food to put in bins either for Mortimer Jordan or Gardendale.”

The effort came about thanks to the 2008 Trick or Treat so Kids can Eat (TOTS-EAT) program through the International Thespian Society.

McCurry’s theater students participated in the program last year.

“My students are going out trick-or-treating to collect canned goods,” McCurry said.

Students are collecting canned foods from now until the contest ends on Nov. 1.

Like they did last year, McCurry and her theater students will borrow the football team’s scale and weigh the food one box at a time.

TOTS-EAT is a nationwide program where theater students across the U.S. collect food for the needy.

Last year, more than 250 Thespian troupes collected 270,500 pounds of food, according to the International Thespian Society Web site.