Pictured in the front, from left, are Gary Klinger, McKenzie Murphy, Amy Ortiz, Jerry Secrist and Carissa Ziemek. In back are Jacob McDonald, Bryce Cudney, Travis Shull, Cody Craig, Camden Tucker, Cora Alber, Asia O’Connor, Susan Nickerson, Hannah Ames and Hannah Gibbons.

AKRON — Students in Tippecanoe Valley High School’s National Honor Society chapter recently raised hundreds of dollars for a local food bank.

On Dec. 14th, the students presented a check in the amount of $650 to Jerry Secrist of Mary and Jerry’s Helping Hands, a food bank in rural Kosciusko County, south of Mentone. The money was raised through a penny wars competition between grade levels by collecting change and bills during lunch for a week in November.

“We hope to make this an annual tradition and increase the amount of money we are able to raise and donate each year. It was great to see students throughout the building getting so excited about something positive and enjoying the competition between grade levels,” said Erin Eastgate, a teacher at TVHS and National Honor Society advisor.

Eastgate said the fundraiser was in line with the service, character, leadership, and scholarship pillars of National Honor Society.

“This chapter project required them to display service and character by giving to others and we wanted to help people within our community,” said Eastgate.