WOOD RIVER - In a school year that's seen many changes because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the annual Holiday food drive sponsored by the East Alton-Wood River High School Student Council has provided a sense of normalcy and excitement at the school.
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On Friday afternoon, a climax to the drive helped provide more excitement, as Stacy Vambaketes, head of the guidance department, had her head shaved on Facebook Live, as the department won a contest to bring home the most donations of both food and cash.
The East Alton-Wood River High School Student Council has always sponsored a food drive for the Holiday season, and while there have been all sorts of competitions held for the drive, this year was a bit different.
"Student Council has always had a food drive," said English teacher and Student Council co-sponsor Jeni Timmins, "and we've had all kinds of different competitions, so this year, we decided as teachers to divide up by departments and have our own competition."
The EAWR faculty was divided up by the academic department, with the English department, the math department, even the school's administration forming their own teams to see who could raise the most food and cash donations. Originally, the plan was for the winning team to choose a consequence for the team that came in last. But Vambaketes had her own idea.
"Stacy kind of threw a wrench into it," Timmins, who along with first-year girls soccer coach Jesse Daniels co-sponsors the school's Student Council, said, "and she said that if her team won, she would get her head shaved."
As it turned out --- her team, the guidance department, won.
"And they won big," Timmins said with a laugh.
As a result of her team's win, Vambaketes had her head shaved by a former student, now cosmetologist, Emilee Sabatino in a 3 p.m. Friday ceremony broadcast over Facebook Live.
"It's exciting," Timmins said. "She's really excited about it, and it was a tremendous turnout as well for both food and cash donations."
The drive netted enough food to fill a big truck, along with $3,500 that will go into the school's Nurses Fund, which is used by the EAWR guidance department to help students in need.
"We have a fund called the Nurses Fund," Timmins said, "and when a student has a need, such as food, clothes, whatever, we can use that fund to buy whatever a student needs."
This year's drive was one of the most successful in recent history, as it helped restore some normalcy to the school during a time of uncertainty and turmoil caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
"Yes, and it was nice, because this year, there hasn't been games, dances, or anything for the kids," Timmins said. "So they all got together, and got behind the drive, and it was something to get into, because there just hasn't been anything to get into, and it helped give the kids a sense of normalcy."
Although the guidance department won the school's contest, and Vambaketes had her head shaved to celebrate the win, the real winners are the EAWR community and those who are in need this holiday season.
"The real winners are everyone who benefits," Timmins said. "Sure, we had winners and losers in the competition, but here, everyone wins. The community, the kids who need it, and everyone who participated."
