Students from two Saskatoon high schools collected 32,673 pounds of food for the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Center during a Halloween food drive.

The Halloweening for Hunger event – ​​which has been running for 19 years – sees students from St. Joseph’s High School and Bishop James Mahoney High School go straight to their homes to collect donations of non-perishable products such as canned foods, formula, pasta and rice.

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This year, St. Joseph’s students collected 16,667 pounds of food, while those at Bishop James Mahoney collected 16,006 pounds.

“This collaboration between local schools demonstrates the power of community spirit and the difference that can be made when we work together,” explained the food bank in a press release, emphasizing that donations will go directly to helping members of the community in a situation of food insecurity.

The donation comes at just the right time, while the use of food banks is on the rise across Canada.

Food Banks Canada says it recorded more than two million visits in March. This number is almost double the number of monthly visits recorded five years ago in March 2019, and six percent more than last year’s record figure.

The Saskatoon Food Bank expressed its gratitude to Rosenau Transport, who provided a 40-foot trailer for the event.

“Their assistance was invaluable in ensuring that the food collected was transported safely and efficiently to the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre,” noted the food bank.

–with files from The Canadian Press