Bordentown Regional High School theatre students will trade candy for canned goods this Halloween as they take to local neighborhoods to collect food for families in need.
Members of the school’s International Thespian Society Troupe 6803 will participate in the annual Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat program on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
Dressed in Halloween costumes, the students will go door to door collecting canned goods and other nonperishable food items instead of candy. All donations will benefit St. Mary’s Food Pantry in Bordentown.
The students hope to collect 2,000 pounds of food during this year’s drive.
Residents can expect to see the costumed volunteers in the Crystal Lake and Bosserts neighborhoods, as well as Bordentown City.
The food drive has become a Halloween tradition for the high school’s theatre students. During 16 years of participation, Troupe 6803 has collected more than 48,000 pounds of food donations for those in need.
The students are hoping the community’s generosity will once again help them exceed their annual goal.
Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat is a statewide community service program organized through the International Thespian Society. Participating schools collect canned and dry goods for local charities and food banks, turning a night traditionally associated with collecting candy into an opportunity to help others.
Across New Jersey, participating theatre students are expected to collect thousands of pounds of food in a single evening, providing local food pantries with supplies to distribute to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.
Bordentown residents and those in surrounding communities are encouraged to contribute canned goods and nonperishable pantry items to support the effort.
Troupe 6803 is part of the Bordentown Regional High School Theatre Club and Stage Crew, whose members participate in the International Thespian Society, an honor organization recognizing student achievement in the theatrical arts.
The school’s theatre program provides opportunities for students to develop their skills as performers, directors, designers and technicians while encouraging leadership and community service.
Its annual productions include dramas, comedies, children’s theatre, musicals and one-act plays. The program has earned awards and nominations from the New Jersey State Thespian Festival, International Thespian Festival, New Jersey Theatre Night Awards and Greater Philadelphia Cappies Awards.
The Halloween food drive gives students another opportunity to work together outside the theatre while supporting an organization that serves their community.
Residents who live along the collection routes can participate by having canned goods or other nonperishable food items ready when the students arrive Saturday evening.
For more information about the food drive, contact troupe director and theatre adviser Stacie Morano at smorano@bordentown.k12.nj.us.
