More than 1,600 cereal boxes form a domino chain on the floor in the Westgate Middle School gym. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Last year the district collected 400 boxes in their first attempt at the cereal box domino challenge in which students bring in boxes of cereal to put out like dominos and topple them before loading them into a truck to deliver to the East Liverpool Salvation Army.

For their second year at doing the challenge, on Friday, students arrange the 1,678 boxes of cereal collected on the gym floor at Westgate to complete the domino challenge.

“East Liverpool City Schools is proud to celebrate the tremendous success of the 2nd Annual Cereal Domino Challenge, a student-led service initiative at Westgate Middle School that continues to grow in impact and community engagement each year,” Megan Hernandez, communication director said in a media release. “Last year’s collection totaled 400 cereal boxes. This year, Westgate Middle School and LaCroft Elementary combined forces–and the results were extraordinary.”

In addition to the 1,678 boxes of cereal, students surpassed previous years’ canned food collection, with 525 canned food items collected. Hernandez noted that this demonstrates the generosity and community spirit which thrives across the district.

More than 1,600 cereal boxes form a domino chain on the floor in the Westgate Middle School gym. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Top student contributors include Marley Thompkins, Westgate, fifth grade with 407 boxes of cereal; Brady Fennell, Westgate, sixth grade with 399 boxes; Dameon Lovett, Westgate fifth grade with 270 boxes; Jayce Barton, Westgate, fifth grade with 225 boxes and Lincoln Fennell, Lincoln Elementary third grade with 89 boxes.

“These remarkable contributions helped propel this year’s total to new heights and inspired students across the district to join the effort,” Hernandez said. She also noted that she was pleased with the parental involvement in the project and the amount of help they put into helping the students collect the cereal.

Marley said she was able to get so many boxes because she and her mother made multiple trips to multiple Giant Eagles when they had a special cereal of four boxes for $8 and would buy all they could. She also said there was hardly any room for her in the car when they delivered all the boxes to the school.

Marley also said it made her feel good to be the top contributor and help children who need it.

Dameon said he was able to get so many boxes because his mom clipped coupons to get cereal at four for $8 from Dollar General, and they made multiple trips to purchase the cereal.

Marley Thompkins, Westgate, fifth grade, the student who collected the most boxes of cereal, topples the cereal box domino chain. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Dameon said it feels good to be in the top five and to help children who have less than him.

The top five students received T-shirts with the school mascot and a bowl of cereal on it and the top three contributors received ball caps from Larrick.

Marley, due to her being the top collector, was the one selected topple the cereal box domino chain.

Sgt. Major Stephanie Larrick, East Liverpool Salvation Army, told the students during an assembly held on Friday for the domino challenge that the amount of cereal collected would help benefit local families in need probably through May.

Larrick, who was very excited over the amount collected, said it was amazing, and she was thrilled that students were learning to give at such a young age.

The last of the more than 1,600 boxes of cereal in the dominio chain topples. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

While the majority of the cereal donation will go to the Salvation Army Food Pantry to help local families, a portion will remain at Westgate to help launch the school’s new Westgate Potter Pete Pantry, Hernandez said. The pantry will help provide food support to students on the weekends.

During the assembly East Liverpool Mayor Bobby Smith addressed the students telling them how doing the right thing when no one is working and paying it forward makes the community better.

Additional contributors to the challenge include community partners Hill International who provided a driver and truck to transport the cereal donations to the Salvation Army Food Pantry; All Sports Apparel Printing who donated custom T-shirts for the top 5 students and Jerry Bartlett from the ELHS STEM Lab who provided an additional award for participating students.

This year’s challenge included not LaCroft students as well as Westgate students.

“This project highlights the heart of Potter Nation,” Hernandez, said “Our students continue to show that kindness, generosity, and service are core values within our district. The fact that they collected over 1,600 cereal boxes, knowing it will directly help families in need, is something truly powerful. We are incredibly proud of them and deeply grateful to the families and partners who make this event possible.”

Sgt. Major Stephanie Larrick, East Liverpool Salvation Army, presents the top three contributors, Marley Thompkins, Westgate, fifth grade; Brady Fennell, Westgate, sixth grade and Dameon Lovett with ball caps. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com

The top student contributors, Marley Thompkins, Westgate, fifth grade; Brady Fennell, Westgate, sixth grade; Dameon Lovett, Westgate fifth grade Jayce Barton, Westgate, fifth grade Lincoln Fennell, Lincoln Elementary third grade were presented with custom shirts. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Students and staff help gather the cereal after the dominio challenge. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Clyde Conrad and Nehemiah Moman, both fifth grade students at Westgate, work together to carry cereal out to the truck to go to the Salvation Army. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Boxes of cereal are boxed and bagged and ready to be loaded onto the truck to transport them to the Salvation Army Food Pantry. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)