Santa Cruz School Kids Win Skateboard Awards for Raising Thousands of Meals for Hungry Kids

Grind Out Hunger, the youth-oriented charity that taps into students, surfers, skaters and musicians, gave out annual awards to schools that raised the most meals for hungry kids Sunday.

Rock star James Durbin was at the ceremony at Pono Hawaiian Grill Sunday, and he tearfully accepted an award after hearing about the work done by school children to raise money for meals. Durbin has put on concerts for Grind Out Hunger.

The charity's founder, Danny Keith, talked about how some schools have gone above and beyond what he expected, after making presentations to the students asking for their help.

Mission Hill Middle School, for example, raised enough money for 6,477 meals, or three from every student at the school. 

Aptos Junior High School had a class competition to raise money and an ice cream social for the winners. The winning class was served by the losing class.

"The principal there really encouraged kids to participate," Keith said.

Kids raised money with lemonade stands, clothing drives, bake sales, car washes. Some, such as Quintin Schuman, Mayor Hillary Bryant's 9-year-old son, asked people to bring cans of food to his birthday party rather than presents.

"If every kid in the district got $3, that would be $200,000," Keith said. "That would be huge."

The awards went to: 

Heavyweight Awards (Most Pounds Overall)
Elementary: Gateway, 8,343 meals.
Middle: Aptos Jr. 19,116 meals.
High: Monte Vista, 12,837 meals

Per Capita Awards

Santa Cruz City School District

Elementary: Westlake, 909 meals (1 per student) ; De Laveaga, 763 meals (1 per student)
Middle: Mission Hill, 6477 meals (12 per student) ; Branciforte, 95 meals (less than 1 per student).
High:  Santa Cruz, 2384 meals (2 per student) ; Soquel, 2273 meals (2 per student).

Pajaro Unified School District

Elementary: Valencia, 1395 meals (3 per student); H.A. Hyde, 1280 meals (2 meals per student).
Middle:  Aptos, Jr., 19,116 meals (26 meals per student); Linscott Charter, 1,280 meals (1 per student).
High: Aptos, 3,578 meals (3 per student); Pacific Coast Charter, 274 meals (1 per student).

Private Schools

Elementary: Spring Hill, 7,773 meals (69 per student); Salesian, 4,418 (28 per student.
Middle: Monterey Coast Prep: 4,788 meals (177 per student); Gateway, 8,343 meals (32 per student)
High: St. Francis, 10,876 meals (49 per student); Monte Vista, 12,837 meals (19 meals per student).

Other Districts

Elementary: Happy Valley, 306 meals (2 per student); Main Street, 834 (2 per student)
Middle: New Brighton, 7,960 meals (12 per student); Shoreline 7,278 meals (12 per student)
High: Cypress Charter 96 meals (less than 1 per student)

Other awards went to Yogurtland, which has sponsored GOH promotions in two stores; Plantronics, which helped donate seats at the Santa Cruz Warriors games; Chris Rene, the singer who has done concerts for the cause; Sandra Nelson, who threw an Octoberfest party and snowboarder Marissa Hushaw, who has raised funds.

To see the successes of various hunger fighters, click here. 

The Holiday Food Drive is in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County and 100 percent of the holiday school food drives benefit Second Harvest Food Bank in Santa Cruz County.

To get involved, go to  http:www.grindouthunger.org and http://www.thefoodbank.org