Rapid City students pack meals, hope in annual tradition

RAPID CITY, S.D. — Even the smallest gesture can make a difference, something students in the Rapid City Catholic Schools were learning during their annual Packing Hope Program.

For the 13th year, students packed the St. Elizabeth Seton gym as they prepared meals for those in need.

The program was started by an Iowa non-profit in 2007, and in the 13 years they have been participating, they have packed and sent over 1,000,000 meals.

This year, students in all grades worked together to pack meals and break last year’s record of 125,000.

“Our goal this year is 140,000 meals. That is our biggest number so far,” sophomore at St. Thomas More Morgan Simonds said. “The last year that we did this, we got 128,000. So, it’s kind of a big jump, but I think we can do it.”

Students and staff look forward to the event every year, a day of fun and reflection during the Lenten season.

“From a young age we’re influenced by doing good in the world and that really just is an awesome thing to have at a young age and that’s an amazing thing to do and continue to do throughout your whole life,” Simonds said. “We really tie it into God. We usually do it around Lent every year just to give it up to God through all of our struggles and everything. So it’s a blessing to be able to have a program like this come to our school and be able to do it at school.”

All of the meals packed will go to orphanages and those in need in Honduras.