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Whitman-Hanson High hosts Miles for Meals

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Whitman-Hanson High hosts Miles for Meals and earns money for local food pantries

Whitman-Hanson Regional High School’s National Honor Society students hosted the sixth annual Miles for Meals Fun Run and Walk at the WHRHS outdoor track on Saturday, Oct. 24, raising $3,600 so far — with an affiliated raffle running through Friday, Oct. 30.

The fundraiser benefits the local food pantries in Whitman and Hanson.

Whitman-Hanson High hosts Miles for Meals

GIVING: W-H girls’ soccer players Madison Shea, left, and Kat O’Kane bring in food pantry donations to National Honor Society Adviser Ellen Galambos. Photo by Tracy Seelye

This year, Student Council members also joined in sponsoring Miles for Meals. Students and local residents alike brought great energy while walking and even participating in some games.

“The volunteers at the food pantries were so grateful to the kids for their commitment to their community,” says Ellen Galambos, Whitman-Hanson’s NHS advisor. “The parents and relatives of our students donated so much money, and I know the food pantries are very grateful to these special families. I’m also very touched by the generosity of some of the businesses in our two communities.”

Galambos had hoped to raise a minimum of $2,000 because “the students would love to give at least $1,000 to each pantry.”

They had exceeded their initial goal by the start of the event, with additional donations made that morning, she said.

For next year, Galambos and NHS members are looking to potentially hold a 5K for Miles for Meals benefit run.

All proceeds from the walk go directly to the Whitman and Hanson food pantries, so the fundraiser helps local friends and neighbors who are struggling to put food on the table.

“The money Miles for Meals makes is useful because the pantry can then purchase food from the [Greater Boston] Food Bank,” Sharon Kennedy, the director of the Hanson food pantry said last month. By not buying food from a grocery store, the food pantries are able to get more for their dollar.

Kennedy and volunteers from the Whitman Food Pantry also took part in the walk.

“Miles for Meals is one of the biggest fundraisers for the pantry. With the money we are able to buy $7 of food for $1 at the Greater Boston Food Bank,” said Bob Hogan of the St. Vincent DePaul Society and Whitman Food Pantry, which serves nearly 4,000 people.

See more photos from the event at the Whitman-Hanson Express Facebook page.

Club puts inspiration into action

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Have you ever wished there was a club to join based on your favorite book series?

For students at Whitman-Hanson, this year junior Elizabeth Ingram has started just that – a Harry Potter Alliance Club — their recruiting slogan: “Nerds doing good.”

The local club is part of a global network, founded in Somerville Mass., in 2005, and based on the famous book series by J.K. Rowling with a mission to work for equality, human rights and literacy. There are more than 275 chapters in 25 countries and 43 U.S. states.

Founder Andrew Slack initially sought to draw attention to human rights violations in Sudan.

The Alliance has since sent more than $123,000 in life-saving supplies to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, helped in the victory for Net neutrality and against child slavery by working with Warner Bros. studios in January on an agreement to make all Harry Potter chocolate sold at Warner Bros. outlets and through their licensed partners 100-percent UTZ (sustainably farmed) or Fair Trade, according to the Website thehpalliance.org.

The W-H Harry Potter Alliance’s first meeting took place after school on Tuesday, Sept. 15, with about 10 students attending.

“I got the idea to start the club from watching YouTube videos online,” Ingram said. “The more I learned about the club from YouTube users already involved, the more interested I became in the organization and being part of a chapter.”

Ashley Balbian is the faculty advisor for the club. When Ingram first approached her, Balbian thought “it was a great, creative idea” and “immediately said yes” to being the advisor.

“My hope for the club this year is to contribute to the school as well as create a more positive atmosphere,” Ingram explains.

She also wants the club to participate in other national Harry Potter Alliance campaigns like Accio Books, a book drive to help support literacy and those who do not have access to books; and Esther Day, a day dedicated to people promoting kindness and doing good in honor of Esther Earl, the inspiration for John Green’s novel, “The Fault in Our Stars.”

“Accio” is a spell used in Harry Potter to bring a wanted object to whoever uses it. Esther Earl was an activist in the Harry Potter Alliance and lost her battle with cancer in 2010.

In the future, Ingram hopes that the club can make a difference in the local community.

And of course, both Ingram and Balbian are Harry Potter fans.

Their favorite character is Hermione Granger because she “stands up for what she believes in and doesn’t give up,” said Ingram.