Giving is Under Way at Ellet CLC

It is the holiday season, and the giving has already started at Ellet CLC.

Ellet’s Student Council sponsored its annual canned food drive from November 11- 22. Approximately 1,300 items were collected for the project.

“It is a schoolwide project, sort of a rivalry to see which academy can bring in the most cans,” said Student Council adviser Kellie Smith, who also teaches English at Ellet. “It is for charity, but I think the students also like the challenge; so it is also for the win.”

She has helped host the project for the last eight years. There are four academies at Ellet: Applied Engineering, Community Health, Global Marketing and the Freshman Academy, which is made up of all freshmen. As freshmen, they aren’t enrolled in a specific pathway program yet.

The Applied Engineering Academy, which consists of 180 students, was announced as the winner on the last day of the drive. It is the academy’s fifth consecutive victory.

Smith said the academy donated more than 900 canned goods.

Eric Frantz, who teaches automotive technology in the Applied Engineering Academy, said his students take the competition seriously.

“It is a good challenge. My students rise to the occasion,” said Frantz. “It is a numbers game. Some of the kids really buy into it, and some don’t; but that is okay. The good outweighs the bad, so that is a win.”

He said the seniors take pride in collecting the most cans and take the lead to carry on the winning tradition. An academy celebration will be scheduled at a later date when they recognize students for their contributions.

What is the secret to winning?

Frantz said some of the seniors work and spend their own money to purchase canned goods and have, on occasion, asked Acme to donate to the cause as well.

“The best part about it is that they learn to give, and they see exactly where the results are going,” Frantz said. “Some fundraisers fail, but this one is 100 percent foolproof because all of it goes back into the Ellet community.”

Smith said the canned goods all go to the Ellet unit of Good Neighbors Inc., located at North Springfield Presbyterian Church, 2630 Albrecht Ave., which is open on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 9:30-11 a.m.

Smith said that, over the years, Good Neighbors has made the delivery to them more convenient.

“I used to pack up the canned goods and drop them off during my lunch hour,” Smith said, “but now Good Neighbors' Valerie Straw (past council president) comes to the school and does the pickup.”

The 60-member Student Council tries to sponsor events monthly. The organization is responsible for Homecoming, Spring Festival events, Teacher Appreciation Day in May, promoting school spirit at the pep rallies and donations to several charities.