South Lincoln High School students and bus drivers alike donated their time to loading and unloading the bus of bags and bushels of canned goods, cereals and other tasty items collected during a school-wide Thanksgiving food drive.

First Student Canada provided the bus for the drive and helped deliver the food to the food bank, located in Smithville's Industrial Park.

Principal Karen Torigian expressed her pride in the student initiative, part of the Outreach Committee's many good deeds.

"Character education is an important part of the curriculum," she said. "Our students spend time learning and discussing the ideals of honesty, leadership and community responsibility. This effort is a practical extension of those concepts, and I am very proud of our students for taking on this important initiative."

Students loaded the bus in front of the Smithville-based secondary school at 9:30 Friday morning, before clambering aboard the bus and unloading it at Community Care minutes later.

After a week of disappointing drive results at local elementary schools in West Lincoln, Lions president John Ganann said it was "fantastic" to see South Lincoln High come to the rescue.

"This food was much needed this year," he said. "This is the most we've ever received from South Lincoln."

Smithville District Christian High School is also slated for a large donation this week, he said.