By James B. Bartle
By the time the Sullivan Independent News’ Nov. 18, 2009 edition hits the newsstands, the Sullivan Chamber of Commerce, KTUI Radio and Sullivan Independent News Thanksgiving Challenge will have wrapped up. At press time, the annual food drive for the Meramec Community Mission was well ahead of 2008 totals.
Sullivan Chamber of Commerce director, Debbe Campbell, and members of the Sullivan Fire Department began collecting food donations from area schools and will conclude those collections on Monday.
According to Campbell, during the Friday pickup, Sullivan Primary School collected 1,225 pounds of food, Sullivan Elementary collected 2,139 pounds and St. Anthony Catholic School collected 1,351. Between these three schools, they have set the bar at a whopping 4,715 pounds of food with last year’s total between the three at 3,984.
“On Monday, we will collect food items from Sullivan Middle School, Strain-Japan School, Spring Bluff School and Aerofil Technology which will wrap up this year’s event,” said Campbell. “I’m very pleased with the support we have received from the 14th Annual Thanksgiving Challenge Food Drive and  look forward to seeing what we collect this week.”
The food drives between the schools and businesses will add to the 11,500 in food collected from the Rooftop Food Drive held on Fri., Nov. 6 and the more than $4,600 in cash donations collected from the drive as well.
The food drive benefits the Meramec Community Mission and aids the mission to meet winter food needs in our local community.