Tara Jeffrey
The annual Cyclone Aid Food Drive is set for April 1, and organizers are encouraging members of the public to lend a hand.
“We would love to see families, volunteers, even future Fighting Irish to come out and help canvass,” said St. Patrick’s high school teacher Vanessa Borody, adding that the city-wide food drive begins at 9 a.m. and ends around 12 noon. “We would love to hit every single home, but we’re not going to know for sure until we see how many people come out that day.”
Students have been encouraged to sign up all week, with hopes that anywhere from 75 to 100 will be on hand for the event, which supports the Inn of the Good Shepherd food bank in Sarnia. Residents are encouraged to leave donations on their doorsteps.
“We’d love to see 6,000 bags collected,” said Borody. “I know we’ve had as high as 9,000 in the past; anything more would just be amazing.”
It’s the first time the food drive returns to its traditional format since before the pandemic. It was canceled in 2020, then was held virtually in 2021. Last year, a one-day, drive-thru event was held at three locations in Sarnia.
Cyclone Aid is one of two annual city-wide food drives held by the high school; donations from the Irish Miracle held in the fall, go to the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
“St. Chris [high school] started it,” Borody said of the tradition that began at the former St. Christopher’s Secondary back in 2002. “And we all took a vow to uphold that tradition.”