The WPIAL is partnering with Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank for its third annual league-wide Food & Fund Drive with the Pittsburgh City League. This year’s Food & Fund Drive will run over most of the fall semester, as it began Aug. 21 and ends Dec. 1.
In the first two years of the Food & Fund Drive, WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League schools provided 175,078 meals for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. In 2022, there were 11 schools that donated 1,000 meals each, and 13 schools that raised more than 100 pounds in physical donations.
Schools will be divided into six divisions by enrollment, and the schools tabulating the most “meals” (total between money donated and food collected) in each of those divisions will be announced in December after totals are calculated. Winning schools will be recognized with a Community Champion banner for the achievement either at the WPIAL Basketball Championships in March 2024, or by having a Food Bank staff member present the banner at their school.
Donations can be made in two ways – financial donations and physical food donations.
For financial donations, each school has its own donation page on Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank (pittsburghfoodbank.org/wpial23) that will keep a running total. Those wanting to donate will be asked to select their school from the Pittsburgh Food Bank link. For every $1 donated, three meals can be provided.
For physical food donations, one food item will equal one meal. Schools are permitted and encouraged to have multiple food collections – such as in school, at a sporting event, or during a school event – and will then have to select a time and location to drop off collected food so it can be counted and credited toward the school’s total meals provided. School donations will also be credited to their applicable food bank.
Last year’s Community Champions were Seneca Valley in 6A, Armstrong in 5A, Knoch in 4A, Mohawk in 3A, Winchester Thurston in 2A, and Redeemer Lutheran in 1A, with Armstrong raising a league-high 12,392 meals. Yough collected a league-best 1,830 items of physical food donations, and Seneca Valley collected the most in monetary donations with $2,275.