PHOTO GALLERY: Easley Remains Undefeated

Easley remains undefeated Friday as the Green Wave rolled over the Pickens Blue Flame, 54-20.

It will be the last of the historic rivalry games to be played at Brice Field in Easley.

While both teams couldn't win on the field, both schools scored major points with the community.

This year during the Sam Wyche Food Fight Bowl, a fundraiser for Pickens County Meals on Wheels, Easley and Pickens tied for the most money raised.

A combined $60,000 was contributed by both schools, and there was still a little more money to count, according to Sam Wyche, a former Furman quarterback and Super Bowl XXIII head coach of Cincinatti Bengals.

A lawnmower race between the two schools at halftime from one end zone to the other showed the two teams they were tied in the fight to end hunger.

Looking at previous years, Meta Bowers, executive director of the agency, said she had expected about $20,000 to be raised this year. With a later start to school and the game being just three days after students started back to class, Bowers said she had no idea how successful the two school's campaigns would be.

"All of the money came in at the at minute," Bowers said. "Everyone is a winner tonight, Pickens, Easley and especially Meals on Wheels."

Over the course of the last three years, the two schools have raised a total of 34,000 for the agency with Pickens leading the charge.

Bowers said they began efforting this year's campaign in July, by putting a letter out in the newspaper.

Bowers said with the $60,000 raised, it will help to feed 230 people a hot meal five days a week.

"This is our biggest fundraiser of the year," Bowers said. "For them to almost double their previous three years, I'm blown away by the numbers. I don't know whether to cry or give a yell. My jaw dropped when they told me how much had been raised."

Bowers said in the last month they have seen 48 new applications, up from previous years and months with 25 new applications were received.

Bowers said going into this year's campaign, the agency had already seen a decline in donations and was down $53,000.

"We can continue our campaign this year unchanged and continue to serve the people who need Meals on Wheels," Bowers said.