Food Ball kickoff is Nov. 7

A good cause can’t undo a healthy rivalry, and in the case of Food Ball, the rivalry fuels the good cause.

Pushing into its 33rd year, Food Ball is a charitable competition between Hoquiam and Aberdeen schools, each school looking to edge the other out by gathering more donations for local food banks.

In recent years, the two schools combined have donated 1 million pounds of food and in-kind monetary contributions annually, collecting a record 1,062,990 pounds in 2007.

Last year, the schools contributed the equivalent of 1,029,970 pounds to local food banks, either in monetary donations or actual food.

“It’s not all about winning Food Ball — it helps everyone,” Aberdeen High School senior and student council Executive President Eric Fitzpatrick said.

But beneath the spirit of community service and giving lies the competitiveness of a 100-year-old rivalry.

“While everybody wins through Food Ball, we’re really happy when it’s us,” Hoquiam High School senior and Associated Student Body President Emily Gwinn said.

Both schools said they lost no time getting started, beginning plans for the 10-day fundraising push during the first week of school.

“We’re excited to see the boundaries we can push,” Hoquiam senior and class Treasurer Chandra Munger said. “It’s like (leadership adviser Bonnie Jump) always says, ‘It’s not about beating Aberdeen, it’s about beating the year before.’ ”

Hoquiam has won for four consecutive years.

Last year, Hoquiam gathered 622,912.9 pounds, nearly 216,000 pounds more than Aberdeen, which collected 407,057 pounds.

“We’re going for a five-year winning streak, and you don’t want to be the year that loses it,” Gwinn said.

The urge to win isn’t limited to Hoquiam — Aberdeen students are vying to end the Hoquiam streak.

“Every Aberdeen kid loves to try to beat Hoquiam,” Fitzpatrick said. “We want to make every year the year that we win.”

The competitive nature of the two schools is not only long-lived, it’s also helpful.

“The competition is used as motivation,” Aberdeen senior and Executive Vice President Yulisa Morelia said.

And it creates results.

“Without the competition, this wouldn’t be nearly as successful as it is,” Fitzgerald said. “We wouldn’t have been able to raise the equivalent of 1 million pounds of food without it.”

It’s a fun event for both towns — a series of fundraisers including canvassing at local businesses and two joint events:

• A dodgeball game between the two schools from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10, at Aberdeen High School’s Sam Benn Gym.

• A variety show at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14, at Hoquiam High School’s Little Theater.

Canvassing will have students from both schools soliciting donations, almost to the point of annoyance.

“People sometimes give us a donation just to get us to go away,” Hoquiam senior and class President Nick Lindseth said.

Both schools are trying new tactics in their fundraising efforts.

Aberdeen will hold a Foodball Carnival at the school gym from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7. Admission is $3 or three cans of food.

Hoquiam will expand their annual Food Ball dessert night into dinner, dessert, dancing and an auction on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Student Center. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the auction at 7 p.m. The school also plans to reach out to the Ocean Shores community during a movie night on Saturday, Nov. 8.

While the student leaders can organize events until they’re blue in the face, it wouldn’t mean much without the support of their peers and the community.

“The biggest challenge is motivating other people,” Fitzgerald said. “We can plan all of this, but none of it works without other people helping.”

Each extra penny helps.

“If everyone just gave a little more, cumulatively it’d be a lot,” Gwinn said.

The competition culminates with a weigh-in at 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17, at the Grays Harbor PUD, 2720 Sumner Ave. in Aberdeen.

Both schools feel the anticipation as the food is weighed.

“It’s nerve racking,” Lindseth said. “Last year we definitely thought we had them beat, but you never know until both schools are weighed.”

When the dust clears and the cheering ends, there’s no trophy to take home and no banner to hang in the gym. In the end, the reward surrounds the students in their communities. “You can see the direct results,” Fitzpatrick said. “We live in a pretty impoverished community, and you can see who you’re helping.”

Because of donations and efforts like Food Ball, somebody will eat a meal they may not have had otherwise — it could be any random Wednesday night meal for an individual, or Thanksgiving dinner for a struggling family.

“When you win Food Ball it’s just rewarding but, more than anything, no matter what you do, your hard work is worth the effort,” Munger said.

Main events include:

Aberdeen

• Friday, Nov. 7 — Kick off assembly at 2:15 p.m.

• Saturday, Nov. 8 — Rock and Bowl at Rainier Lanes, 9 p.m.-11 p.m.

• Sunday, Nov. 9 — Aberdeen Community Blitz, all day.

• Tuesday, Nov. 11 — Aberdeen McTakover, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.

• Wednesday, Nov. 12 — Mazatlan Takeover, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.

• Thursday, Nov. 11 — Muscle Beach Volleyball at Sam Benn Gym, 5 p.m.-7 p.m.

• Saturday, Nov. 15 — Powderpuff 10-1 p.m. at Stewart Field.

• Sunday, Nov. 16 — Canvassing all day.

Hoquiam

• Friday, Nov. 7 — Kickoff Parade and canvassing at 4 p.m., followed by Grizzly Den takeover from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.

• Saturday, Nov. 8 —Coffee take over and Movie Night at Ocean Shores Cinema.

• Sunday, Nov. 9 — Luncheon at Hoquiam High School from 1 p.m.-3 p.m.

• Monday, Nov. 10 — McTakeover at Hoquiam McDonalds from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.

• Wednesday, Nov. 12 — Passport Cafe from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.

• Thursday, Nov. 13 — Subway takeover, 3 p.m.-7 p.m.

Drop-off locations are at Emerson, Central, Lincoln, Hoquiam Middle School, Hoquiam High School and Timberland Bank’s Hoquiam branch.