From November 19th to December 6th, students attending Papillion LaVista South High School had been able to donate winter clothes for people in need. An interview with Mr. Kyle Kruse, one of the guidance counselors for the school, provided more details about the drive. “Just kind of looking at the piles we’ve had, it seemed like we definitely had quite a few coats donated from each grade level,” said Kruse.
There had been smaller drives in the past, often limited to only school faculty members. However, that year, the school had decided to announce a school-wide coat drive due to the timeliness of winter slowly approaching. “The district had a great initiative and a great program called the Community Closet, and it was available for all students, all families that were in the Papillion La Vista district,” said Kruse.
Due to it being wintertime, people had needed warm clothes to avoid being cold in the harsh weather. Winter coats and shoes had gone a long way for students exposed to winter weather conditions. Because of student dedication to the drive, 80 coats had been collected for families in need.
Kruse, along with other students and staff members—Mrs. Anne Marie Thornton, Ms. Stephanie Hadaway, the downstairs main secretary, and Mr. Jeff Spilker, the head principal—had participated in their own ways for the drive.
The winning team for the most coats donated had been the Juniors, whose reward had been a pie-throwing contest for the junior principal, Brent Gehring. There had been great appreciation for all who had participated in the spirit of giving during that holiday season.
