Marble Falls schools best Burnet in Battle of the Cans food drive
Marble Falls ISD officials presented Marble Falls Elementary School with the 2023 Battle of the Cans trophy during the school’s morning announcements on Oct. 20. Pictured are (from left) MFISD Board of Trustees President Kevin Naumann, Superintendent Jeff Gasaway, Principal Michael Haley, first-grade teacher Sasha Dizol, fourth-grade teacher Kellie Coppenger, and MFISD social worker Kaitlin Puckett. Courtesy photo
Marble Falls schools won the second annual Battle of the Cans competition against Burnet campuses after raising about 7,224 pounds of food for The Helping Center. The winner was announced during the Oct. 13 football game between the two rival high schools.
In total, the districts raised over 10,000 pounds of canned goods for local food pantries.
“I was very shocked by the number but excited,” said Marble Falls Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Jeff Gasaway. “More than anything, I’m excited that Marble Falls and Burnet will be able to impact our community.”
The trophy was presented to staff at Marble Falls Elementary School on Oct. 20 following the campus’ tremendous 3,448-pound contribution. The figure was more than twice that of Marble Falls High School, the drive’s second-highest contributor.
“We were blown away at the generosity and support that our families and our staff gave to this food drive, and it’s always good to have the trophy at the end,” said MFES Principal Michael Haley. “We had no way of knowing that we were going to blow the top off (this competition) like this.”
Haley pointed to a friendly competition between the classes of first-grade teacher Sasha Dizol and fourth-grade teacher Kellie Coppenger as a driving force behind the school’s success.
“We had two staff members who turned it into a head-to-head competition,” Haley said. “We had a couple of days where one class would bring almost 1,000 cans and the other class would try to top it the next day.”
The principal said the contest’s results demonstrate the school’s dedication to helping the community.
“We’re so proud of their efforts,” Haley said. “Our real goal was to make sure we were giving food to families in need, but it’s always good to compete and have fun, too.”
Food raised by the Marble Falls school district will go to The Helping Center, while cans collected by the Burnet school district will stock shelves at Lakes Area Care Inc.
“We talk about loving and inspiring our kids, but we also want to love and inspire our community,” Superintendent Gasaway said. “I think this is a great example of our kids helping us adopt that philosophy.”