by SC Editor Shannen Hayes
The Canterbury School Varsity Lacrosse team broke the packing record at the 6th annual Feed My Starving Children Mobile Pack event on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Sanibel Community Church. The team packed 42.5 boxes of rice-based meals in two hours. The total number of boxes packed on Saturday was 197, providing 42,552 meals for starving children worldwide.
The Lacrosse team was accompanied by their assistant coach, Ralph Quilen, on Saturday. It was the team’s fourth time participating in the FMSC mobile packing event. “We do this each year as a season kick-off team-building event to help give back to a great cause,” said Quilen, “and teach the athletes about service above self.”
The meals are boxed, palleted and shipped to over 70 countries before distribution to hundreds of NGOs such as churches, schools, orphanages, mission and community relief clinics that give to the malnourished and severely hungry people.
The two-hour volunteer packing sessions held nationwide are a simple yet effective way to produce these meals, with 93 percent of the cost going just to food materials. FMSC has packed almost 5 billion meals in its 38 year history, with 99+ percent getting to these needy agencies to hand out.
Asst. Coach Quilen said the local FMSC packing event is an excellent way to encourage teamwork off the playing field, and their packing record shows that the team works well together. He said the team has fun and feels good about giving back to a cause that wholly supports children in need.
“It’s an honor to lead these fine young men in such a worthy endeavor, and I look forward to next year,” Quilen said.
The Sanibel Community Church served as an FMSC meal packing location on Friday, Feb. 6, and Saturday, Feb. 7.
Leave a Comment