Alleman sophomores (front row, from left) Ava Sandoval-Murray and Autumn Atkinson display food donations collected during the 38th Annual Student Hunger Drive sponsored by the River Bend Food Bank of Davenport, Iowa. Back row, seniors Owen Cunningham, Tyler Wilden, Brennen Cunningham and Grant Masias. (Supplied photo)

ROCK ISLAND—“16 Tons” is the title of an old country song about the amount of coal a miner could haul in a day.

It also just happens to be the total weight of the foodstuffs collected by Alleman Catholic School for the 38th Annual Student Hunger Drive sponsored by the River Bend Food Bank of Davenport, Iowa.

For the 29th time in the last 30 years, the student body at Alleman Catholic High School earned first place in their division. 

111 POUNDS PER STUDENT

Alleman students gathered close to 16 tons – or 32,000 pounds – of foodstuffs to almost double the closest competitor’s effort (Orion High School).

High schools in Illinois and Iowa compete in three divisions based on enrollment to gather food for the area’s needy. Alleman’s effort equates to approximately 88,000 meals and works out to 111 pounds of food per student at the school.

ACTIVITIES GALORE

Alleman, aided by local parishes and the two partner grade schools (Jordan Catholic in Rock Island and Seton Catholic in Moline), used a variety of activities to raise money to purchase food or to actually solicit food donations.

Efforts included a student dodgeball tournament, selling student discount cards, energy drinks sales in the student bookstore, a trunk-or-treat event hosted at the school and trick or treating for canned goods.

Asked for the secret of Alleman’s success, principal Mike Lootens credited administrative assistant Marlene Wetherell and baseball coach Thomas Smith with getting the students involved. “They do a real good job of selling it to the kids, and the kids take ownership of it and run with it.”