Hoquiam takes fifth Food Ball in a row

Inside the Grays Harbor PUD, as he has for the past 20 years, accountant Harold Warren pecked away at his calculator late Monday afternoon after receiving cash and checks from Aberdeen and Hoquiam high school students who have spent the past two weeks scouring the community for donations to help people who can’t afford all the food they need. Students and faculty from both schools sat in chairs and stood around the room, anxiously awaiting the results.

When the final tally came, Hoquiam reigned victorious as Food Ball champions for the fifth consecutive year, donating the equivalent of 555, 736.30 pounds of food, compared to Aberdeen’s 338, 269.70. Both school’s raised the majority of their collections with monetary donations, with every dollar counting as 10 pounds worth of food. Combined, Hoquiam and Aberdeen’s accounted for 894,006 lbs. of food that will go to those in need.

The Food Ball competition, which has been going on for more than 30 years, is a contest between the two schools to see who can collect the most food and monetary donations to give to Coastal Harvest, which helps feed the hungry by supplying food banks throughout Southwest Washington. Last year, both schools raised a combined $100,000 in cash and check donations alone.

The competition makes for healthy rivalry between the two schools.

“It’s just one more thing where we can try to beat them,” said Aberdeen senior Eric Fitzpatrick.

Once the numbers were released, a red pick up truck sped past the PUD with Hoquiam students in the back holding a white flag with a crimson red H, while other students chanted “Grizzly Power!”

Students from both schools have been participating in fundraisers for the event since it kicked off on Nov. 7. A dodge ball game between the two schools, a variety show as well as a dinner and auction were just a few of the events that took place last week as part of the contest.

Win or lose, those involved are happy to let the schools’ rivalry fuel help for a good cause.

“It’s a great thing for the community. It’s been going on forever and both schools put in so much work,” said Hoquiam High Principal Brock Maxfield.

Bonnie Jump, the Associated Student Body Adviser at Hoquiam, agreed with Maxfield, emphasizing how willing students and faculty from both high schools have been to make a positive difference throughout the community ever since the competition began.

“Every year I am amazed to live in a community that gives back so much. It shows how a small group of dedicated people can do amazing things. Every year I think it gets bigger and bigger,” she said.