High school student Hunter Brown decided to get creative and use rubber ducks to play a role in fighting hunger in the local community.
Brown, a senior at Blue Valley Northwest High School, learned about Jewish Family Services’ (JFS) Food Pantry and its reliance on community donations and launched a “Rubber Duck Raffle.”
Brown is the president of his school’s new club, Northwest Fight Against Hunger, which helps support local food pantries. The JFS Food Pantry serves more than 500 local families with food, personal care items and household goods.
“It was important to help out at JFS and really any food pantry, because hunger in the community is a growing crisis,” said Brown, who became a bar mitzvah at Congregation Beth Shalom. “My friend Binhua and I wanted to do our part. Instead of just selling raffle tickets, we thought rubber ducks would be a fun and memorable way to raise money.”
Students who donated $3 received a numbered rubber duck and were entered into a drawing to win a $100 prize. The ducks were sold at several locations around the school, and students were encouraged to purchase more than one to boost both their chances of winning and their impact.
The fundraiser brought in $360 — equivalent to 864 cans of food for the pantry. JFS staff were enthusiastic about the students’ effort.
“We are always so honored when school groups and youth choose JFS as the beneficiary of their creativity,” JFS Director of Pantry Partnerships Jo Hickey said. “Creating the tradition of mitzvah — a good deed — early in life is a strong value that we love to see in action.”
Hickey encourages others to get creative when it comes to supporting the pantry. Those interested in hosting a drive can email .
