CONWAY — The 143 Conway Grammar School students walked in support of Monte’s March, a fundraising effort for the Food Bank of Western Mass, annually put on by 93.9 The River radio personality Christopher “Monte” Belmonte.
Starting Monday, Belmonte walked 43 miles over two days, from Springfield to Greenfield, collecting donations in a shopping cart along the way and providing updates on the radio. He was joined by state and local lawmakers, as well as various community leaders, five grammar school teachers, and one member of the School Committee.
But at the school around 11 a.m. Tuesday, the pupils pushed their own shopping carts around the school building, later filling them with food and monetary donations to support the cause.
“It’s really important,” said sixth-grade grade student Benjamin Carlan about raising awareness and donating to help the needy. “We’re the wealthiest country in the world, but we still have a high hunger rate. We should definitely be thinking about this.”
Over the past few weeks, Principal Kristen Gordon said teachers have been encouraging students to get involved through action, a philosophy she says the students fully embraced.
“It was all intrinsic,” she explained, noting that “having kids look outside themselves, Those are all very important life skills.”
School nurse Meg Burch said over the past few weeks she’s been “brought to tears” by students’ outpouring of selfless compassion. Some of them bringing “handfuls of change” to donate.
“We think it’s very important to give back to the community,” said fifth-grader Isaiah Goleman, speaking on behalf of his classmates. “One out of every five kids don’t know where their next meal will come from.”
Burch, who came up with the idea and helped put on the event, said the school holds “Walk-Run Day” every Tuesday for exercise, adding that “we thought we could fold in some information about the food bank.” Since the hunger walk’s inception, students have donated 225 pounds of food and helped raise almost $1,700, which will be converted to food.
“As a school nurse, I see kids — not often in this community — that are hungry, and you can’t learn when you’re hungry,” Burch said.
“A lot of people here know where their meals are going to come from,” commented fifth-grader Kate Demaio, after the walk. “But a lot of people don’t know that, and a lot of times, they’re hungry. We’re really privileged, and it’s just sad.”
Similar to Demaio, sixth-grade student William Chalfant said, “our families can afford food. We just have so many privileges. It’s important to think about those that don’t have our privileges.”