Mission Viejo High Drama Collects 18 Tons of Food, Wins Award

With 90 students collecting more than 35,000 lbs. of canned food, Mission Viejo High School's drama students took first place in the International Thespian Society's 2013 food drive.

This year MVHS students collected 36,349 lbs. of food, making up 10 percent of the national "Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat" goal of 365,000 lbs.

That's more than double the amount brought in two years earlier and more than double their goal of 15,000 lbs.

Students collected food door-to-door, in bins at elementary schools and at local supermarkets. They also collected food from local churches and from families during Hometown Halloween at the Norman P. Murray Community Center.

The food will help feed the estimated 228,000 Orange County children who face hunger each month.

"There’s this misconception that there is no one in need in Orange County," said Kathy Cannarozzi Harris, Theatre Director at MVHS. "But what’s hardly noticed is that there are thousands of people who don’t always know where their next meals are coming from in our own backyard."

The students donated the food to local charities, including Second Harvest Food Bank,  South County Outreach and St. Kilian’s Food Kitchen.