Students from 19 area high schools collected more than half a million pounds of food as part of the 28th annual Student Hunger Drive.
At Thursday's Finale Rally, students representing each participating school revealed a total collection of 521,115 pounds of food.
"It's a big deal here for us. We like to help the community out, and it's just a fun time," said United Township student Evan Spurgetis.
On November 1, billions of dollars were cut from the federal food stamp program. Organizers said the cuts make this year's Student Hunger Drive more important than ever before.
"More people are using the River Bend Foodbank, so demand is at an all-time high. And with the weather turning colder, we know that families are having to choose between heating their home and putting food on the table, so we're just really grateful for our students," said Denise Hester, Student Hunger Drive executive director.
The Student Hunger Drive is, of course, also a competition. This year, Bettendorf, Alleman and Rivermont Collegiate all placed first in their divisions.
Winners of the 2013 Student Hunger Drive school awards were as follows:
Division A: (enrollment 1251+):
1stPlace -Bettendorf High School, 41.5 pounds per student
2nd Place – United Township, 32.2 pounds per student
Most Improved – Davenport Central, 77.2% increase over 2012
Division B: (enrollment 300-1250)
1st Place – Alleman High School, 310 pounds per student, collecting 143,832 total pounds of food
2nd Place – Assumption High School, 85.5 pounds per student
Most Improved – Orion High School/North Scott High School
Division C: (enrollment 25-299)
1st Place – Rivermont Collegiate, 248.2 pounds per student
2nd Place – Quad Cities Christian, 240.1 pounds per student
Most Improved – Quad Cities Christian, 172.2 % increase over 2012
Division D: (enrollment 1-24)
1st Place – Crossroads, 308.6 pounds per student
Since its beginning in 1986, the Student Hunger Drive has collected more than 15 million pounds of food for the Quad Cities.