Mount St. Mary Academy recently celebrated its most successful Robin Hood Days ever after having to curtail activities surrounding the longstanding tradition last year due to COVID-19. The annual student-led canned food drive collected a total of 111,419 cans and cash equivalent over a four-week period this year, shattering the previous record set in 2019 by nearly 50,000 cans.
“I cannot believe how hard these students worked to achieve and far surpass our goals,” Noël Gieringer, MSM English teacher and student council sponsor, said. “After an unusual, simplified can drive last year, it was amazing to see all the new, creative ideas our students used for fundraising. Students not only brought in cans and money, but also came up with events, raffles and other fun ways to encourage their classmates to give. It took the efforts of every grade level to reach this amazing milestone!”
Each class met its individual goal of 10,000 cans and cash equivalent before the drive concluded on November 19. The senior class, which more than quadrupled their individual goal, earned bragging rights by collecting the largest amount of cans: 44,365. The junior class, which at one point led the totals, finished a close second with 38,560 cans. With their individual totals this year, the seniors and juniors each beat the school total from 2016.
“One of the things that will stick with me from my time at Mount is the spirit of giving – and friendly competition – created during Robin Hood Days,” Ellen Brady ’22, student body president said. “I think we can all agree this is a pretty impactful four-week period, when the entire student body comes together to reach a common goal in order to help the food insecurity problem within our state. This is the power of sisterhood and community.”
Savannah Hindman ’22, a three-year student council member, echoed her classmate’s sentiments. “I don’t think I have ever seen the sisterhood as strong as it has been the past few weeks of Robin Hood Days. All of us pulling together to benefit the community in such a huge way and uplifting each other to get the job done has been such an amazing experience. I have never felt so united and so close with my classmates.”
For nearly 50 years, Robin Hood Days has helped provide food and monetary donations to local organizations, including Arkansas Foodbank, The Helping Hand of Greater Little Rock, Rice Depot, Union Rescue Mission, Jericho Way, Our House, OXFAM and Catholic Social Services, among others. It is estimated that more than 1 million canned goods have been collected by Mount St. Mary Academy since the event began in 1974.
View photos of Mount St. Mary students helping load donated canned goods into the vehicles of this year’s benefiting organizations at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmX9Jd51.
Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.