Hundreds of CHS students shuffled across the street and poured into St. Andrews Church for the annual end to Food Gatherers assembly on Nov. 25, 2025. Misted by rain in the frigid 25-degree weather, conversations buzzed about who would end up taking the first-place crown.
Food Gatherers is a local organization based in Washtenaw County, Michigan, dedicated to providing hunger relief and engaging the public in the fight against hunger. They recognize that hunger can not be solved by providing food alone, so they advocate for change that creates an equal food system.
One way Food Gatherers fights hunger is by partnering with CHS; students at CHS fundraise money throughout the month of Oct. for Food Gatherers. This year, 21 forums competed to raise the most money to win a free Zingerman’s lunch, while helping the community around CHS.
Every dollar a student raised equated to two meals, in total, the students raised $121,085 dollars in one month. Crushing the school-wide goal of 100 thousand dollars and providing a total 242,190 meals.
In first place was the Eldon forum, they raised over $15,000 dollars. They beat the Root forum, who were second with over $12,000 dollars raised. In third, Kiley’s forum raised over $10,000 dollars and was following closely behind the Root forum.
The competition was fierce among the forums, creating a need to find innovative ways to raise money. In the McCormick forum, Genevieve Nuxoll was able to raise more than $1,000 alone by asking people to donate from her church.
“It may have been a competition, but good job, all forums,” Mira Authier, a student in the Anderson forum, said. “We helped feed the community!”
The Root forum ran a bake sale, an arm wrestling competition and sold custom handmade hats. From the bake sale alone, the Root forum was able to raise more than $100.
“I am so happy with second place because our forum did so well,” Forum leader Chloe Root said. “Nobody was slacking, but even so, I was a little bit sad that we didn’t get first place, but I also felt great that those donations came in. I would so much rather have those meals be provided than to win first place.”
The Eldon forum raised money by finding sponsors willing to donate, as well as smaller endeavors like selling stickers, buttons and t-shirts during lunch. Other forums sold old clothing, spent time knocking on neighbors’ doors and held bets on how much tape it would take to suspend teachers above the ground to raise money.
During the fundraiser, each forum had a whiteboard carrot either inside or outside the classroom, and the forums would color in part of the 6 foot tall carrot, corresponding to how much money the forums had raised. On many of the carrots, there would be money goals that corresponded to a reward.
For example, if the Eldon forum raised $15,000 dollars, forum leader Sean Eldon would have to wear jeans for a whole month. Students in the forum and those outside found this amusing because Eldon only owns two pairs of jeans, which are from when he was in high school.
The $3,000 goal for the McCormick forum meant that Marcy McCormick had to wear long press-on nails for a whole school day. The forum found it hilarious, while McCormick thought the activity was extremely out of her character.
Lee Greenberg, a member of the Eldon forum, had to participate in the ice bucket challenge on the back lawn as they hit their $6,000 dollar goal.
CHS wants to raise even more money next year and break this year’s record for how much money they can raise. Raising $121,085 dollars for Food Gatherers seemed like a far fetched idea but they proved that wrong. Breaking the record showcases how much we can do for the community when we all come together.
