FALL RIVER: The Halloween Hunger Heroes food drive is back for a sixth year in Fall River Village.
Organized by Sarah MacDonald-Miles, better known as the girl that owns Links of Love bracelets, the fundraiser collected more than 800 pounds of food for Feed Nova Scotia last year on Halloween. It started on Oct. 15 and runs until Oct. 31.
While most youth her age are out collecting treats on Halloween Night, MacDonald-Miles goes to neighbouring streets to her families Concord Avenue home collecting food.
This year for the Grade 12 Lockview High student will be no different—and she has lofty expectations to double last year’s total food collected.
“We’re hoping to probably at least double that or just meet it, meet it or beat it,” said MacDonald-Miles as her and mom Vivian went over planning for their “mascot.” “I’m hoping we can double it. I’m saying we can.”
Last year they had a canoe that people dropped food off in, and it became known as the Canoe at 126 Concorde. Well, there’s no canoe this year.
Instead, there’s a coffin and scarecrow (courtesy of her girlfriends family) for people to drop off food in.
This year, MacDonald-Miles, who is on Student Council at LHS, is hoping she can get her fellow schoolmates more involved. Last year because of COVID restrictions participation from Lockview was limited.
She said they’re excited about having a “mascot” this year.
“We’re super excited about that and we’re just getting that prepared now and trying to figure out all the logistics of how it’s going to work this year,” she said.
The Halloween Hunger Heroes Food drive began Oct. 15 and will run until Halloween Night Oct. 31. People cans top by and drop off non-perishable food items to the fundraiser at 126 Concord Avenue.
Vivian added they have some fun surprises for the kids this year which makes it a little bit more enticing.
MacDonald-Miles was asked why the food drive is such importance to her and getting word out there to others.
“It gets the kids aware of Feed Nova Scotia and all the help that they need, and it gets classes involved with fun activities,” said MacDonald-Miles. “It also gets them aware of what they need and is a good thing for a school to do together as a community as well as our tiny school community.”
She finds the food drive a fun thing to do.
“I always enjoy dressing up for Halloween and collecting food,” she said. “It’s been a fun six years and I hope I can continue doing it. I just love helping Feed Nova Scotia and working with my family and Links of Love to get it done.
She said if people don’t have food to donate they can always drop off money, which they will use to purchase food to donate.
“That’s really the best way you can support is by dropping off the food or letting us know when we can come pick it up,” she said.
MacDonald-Miles is hopeful the businesses in the area will step up and help out as well in reaching her goal of collecting 800 pounds-plus of food for Feed Nova Scotia.
She said the food drive is important as, like the Lions Christmas Express at Christmas time, it’s all about helping the community.
“We don’t know who lives next door, who might need it. There could be your neighbor that you’ve known for years that might need it or somebody you have no idea who they are,” said MacDonald-Miles. “It’s important that we just help them out as best we can.”