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Thanksgiving is all about remembering what we’re grateful for, and that there are people who are less fortunate than us. But this message has been on our minds throughout all of 2020, making this November even more special.

Liberty’s Associate Student Council (ASC) put on their fifth annual turkey drive, while adjusting to safety guidelines. The drive lasted from Nov. 9 – Nov. 13, with a goal to collect 100 turkeys. 

The drive itself was a competition between five teachers to see who could raise the most money, in partnership with the St. Charles County Juvenile Office’s “No Hunger Holiday.” The money raised was used to buy turkeys for families in need on Thanksgiving day.

Holding her spot as the reigning champion, English teacher Mrs. T-O won the competition once more this year. 

When she won in 2018, T-O explained: “It wasn’t about winning, it was about trying to get kids to understand the importance of giving and helping people that are less fortunate and helping people feel really really good. And also, the more competitive I got, it was in hopes that the other teachers would become more competitive too and continue to raise more money.”

She was able to rally her students and fellow staff members to donate $154.23 under her name. As per tradition of the turkey drive, the winner (Mrs. T.O.) got to wear the turkey costume, and the loser (Mrs. Jacks) got to wear the chicken costume. Even though she didn’t win, Mrs. Jacks still managed to raise $109.88

The other three competitors included Mr. Wheeler, Ms. Pizzo, and Mr. Walterbach. They each raised $112.31, $114.51, and $130.60 respectively.

Due to the district’s move to Level 3: Virtual learning, the turkey drive ended up being a last hurrah from the club, for the rest of the first semester.

According to senior and ASC Committee Officer Grace Pickering, “ASC helps StuCo with big events like Homecoming and Pink Night, but since we didn’t get to have those this year, our main focus this semester was the Turkey Drive.”

This entire initiative would not be possible without the collective donations made by students. All grades were able to donate any amount of money to their choice of teacher during their lunch period. ASC members were tasked with the job of collecting the donations, and putting up paper feathers for each donation made.

“I think it helped that some friends were working with me, but my primary motivation was imagining a happy family that benefited from the drive, and that made it worthwhile,” freshman Aicha Beye said. “Donations generally came in slowly, sometimes barely at all, and that made for some uneventful shifts. But when we’d walk around with the buckets and encourage people to donate it, not only did it feel nice to have support from our peers, but it made working the drive more exciting. I’d do it again for sure.”

ASC is a club for leaders at Liberty to see what being on the Student Council is like, without having to take the class. And despite the circumstances this semester, the club has managed to grow in size and successfully raise money for an important cause.

“ASC has been super driven this year given the circumstances,” Beye said. “We’ve already had a few meetings and, obviously, done the Turkey Drive, which gave even new members like me the chance to get involved!”