By JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer
NORTH BRUNSWICK — Either North Brunswick Township High School (NBTHS) Principal Pete Clark or Woodbridge’s John F. Kennedy Memorial High School (JFK) Supervisor of Athletics Sean Daly will be pied in the face during an upcoming football game.
The Meet the Principals’ Challenge will be held 6-7 p.m. on Oct. 14 at the football game between the two schools in North Brunswick, 98 Raider Rd. Attendees are encouraged to drop off two cans of food or more outside the entrance of Steve Libro Stadium for donation to the Middlesex County Food Organization and Outreach Distribution Service (MCFOODS).
At halftime, the winning school’s official will get pied in the face.
“Last year, Mr. [Louis] Emanuel [athletic director] and I sponsored the ‘Meet the Principal’s Challenge’ Food Drive with Piscataway High School with both schools asking the students to bring two cans of food or more to the game,” Clark said. “Last year, the ‘Meet the Principal’s Challenge’ was very successful.”
The two schools worked together to donate 800 pounds of nonperishable foods and necessities during the Oct. 16, 2015, North Brunswick homecoming game.
“These contributions will help replenish our shelves so that we can continue to provide assistance to all county residents in need,” Middlesex County Freeholder Blanquita Valenti and MCFOODS Coordinator Jennifer Apostol said in a letter to Clark last year.
MCFOODS serves 80 food pantries and soup kitchens throughout Middlesex County, as well as 25 other agencies, such as residential facilities, shelters, social service agencies, programs for women and children, senior citizen housing facilities and other outreach services.
“JFK has a longtime standing tradition to donate food to the St. James food pantry in Woodbridge as well as the food pantry in Perth Amboy. Over the past few years we have also participated in the Cast-a-Vote-Cast-a-Can, which is a great way for the local community to bring canned food during election days, and our students go to each poll location to pick up the cans, which are donated to a local food pantry,” said Daly, JFK’s supervisor of Athletics, Health, Physical Education and Nursing 9-12 and GMC vice president, who will be filling in for JFK Principal Michael Cilento during the event.
Daly said the school will begin promoting the event at the beginning of October through all of its sports teams and clubs.
“I think this challenge is important to our school and our community because it makes our students and parents aware that there are people who are less fortunate than some of us and they need any help they can get. Our township mission statement is to develop responsible citizens who are prepared to make positive contributions to the global society, and I believe this challenge does just that,” he said.
Contact Jennifer Amato at jamato@gmnews.com.
