See Food Drive

Drive frompg 1

In addition to holding the food drive, the field hockey team recently completed its annual clothing drive. “With the help of the community, we collected over 400 bags of clothes that will be distributed throughout the U.S. and abroad to those in need,” said Alexander, noting the clothing was donated to Greenthreads. “(The organization) collects mostly clothes and shoes as well as fabric and stuffed animals.”

The field hockey team held a clothing drive from Feb. 9 through May 25. “We set (the clothing drive) up after the season is over at our concession stand,” explained Ashley Destephano, a member of the Boosters Club. “We set up a day - Wednesdays where people could drop off clothes until 6 p.m. and one of us would go out and pick it up and put it inside the concession stand. This year it was really filled. We pick a day, and the truck comes and (team members) help load the bags onto the truck.”

“It’s something the team has done for the past four or five years,” she continued. “The community really gets involved. This year was the biggest (quantity) as far as bags, which was exciting. It’s (an effort) we want to continue.”

“We nearly doubled our collections from last year and are so thankful to the community,” added Alexander. “The funds raised from this event will help our girls go to extra training camps in their offseason and provide extra equipment for them as well.”

The clothing drive and food collection is part of an effort to promote community service among the team members. “We want them to give back to the community in different ways and work as a team to do that,” Destephano said. “For them, it is a team-building and bonding experience and also doing something good for the community.”

For more information about the team and the upcoming food drive, visit www.facebook.com/octorara fieldhockey.