Record high school food drive helps local pantry

Healthy competition and the promise of a pizza party resulted in a record food drive at Lansing High School this year, bringing 1,256 items going to the Lansing Food Pantry. Students in the middle and elementary schools joined in delivering more than 1,000 pounds of food to the pantry as well.

The high school’s Student Council Organization put together the contest, organizing students by their first period classes and offering a pizza party to the group donating the most food for the pantry.

“Team Selfless,” 40 students represented by English teachers Reed Dewey, Mary Beth Fantacone and Dave Brown, led the school in donations with a total of 235 items.

The winning students donated their pizza prize to the Lansing Fire Department because “the fire department works tirelessly even during the holidays to ensure our community is safe,” according to Student Council Adviser Tina Mallinson. High School Principal Pat Hornbrook led the students in delivering the pizzas.

Middle school students put their drive together by grade, and the seventh grade’s “Winnie the Pooh and Friends” team led the way with 212 items. The eight grade team, the “Mickey Mouse Club,” was next with 196 items, the sixth grade’s “Marvel” team followed with 192 items, and the fifth grade’s team, “The Lion King,” donated 186 items.

“We are thankful for everyone’s charity as well as the care the Lansing Fire Department takes to ensure all of our safety, especially during the holiday season,” Mallinson said.

In Brief:

Cookies and Carols raises $3,400 for school arts programs

Despite a snow day delay, the Lansing Theater and Performing Arts Booster Club’s annual “Cookies and Carols” fundraiser drew more than 550 attendees and raised about $3,400 to support the schools’ art and music programs on Dec. 10.

The popular program was pushed back eight days when an ice storm and subsequent snowfall cancelled school activities Dec. 2.

Cookies and Carols is LTAPA’s biggest fundraiser of the year, helping pay for theater and musicians’ needs such as microphones, curtains, lights, scholarships and trips.

The event featured performances by the Third and Fourth Grade Chorus, the Middle School Holiday Band and the High School Show Choir.

Coffee, conversation, connection at library

The Lansing Community Library will host “Coffee, Conversation, Connection,” a meeting for parents who are overwhelmed, frustrated or exhausted by their children’s struggles with social, emotional or behavioral health on Jan. 14 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Serena Ward of The Racker Center will host the family-led discussion and conversation in partnership with Family Navigators, The Racker Center and Lansing Central School District.

Light refreshments and beverages will be served. For more information, or to reserve a spot, call Ward at 607-592-0486 or email her at serenaw@racker.org.

Winter recreation programs

The Lansing Recreation Department has announced its slate of programs for January and February:

Travel basketball for grades four to six (boys and girls) from January to Feb. 28;

Travel basketball cheer for grades two to eight from Dec. 10 to Feb. 28;

Winter gymnastics for grades K to four from Jan. 10 to Feb. 28;

Winter indoor soccer for grades K to six from Jan. 31 to April 3;

Youth wrestling for grades K to six from Jan. 7 to March 5; and

Basketball for grades two and three (boys and girls) from Jan. 7 to Feb. 16.

Go to https://lansingrec.recdesk.com/Community/Home for more information and registration.

Library holiday hours

The Lansing Community Library will be closed Dec. 24, 25 and 26 and Jan. 1. The library will be open Dec. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dec. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Dec. 31 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.