Volunteers help distribute boxes of food, turkeys to 170 families of Iron County students in need

Written by Jeff Richards
December 21, 2023

CEDAR CITY — The day before the start of Iron County School District’s winter holiday break, volunteers worked to package and deliver turkeys and other food items for students in need, just in time for Christmas.

Volunteers load boxes of food into vehicles to be delivered to families in need throughout Iron County School District, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 19, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Tuesday morning at the Iron County Board of Realtors office, board members, school district personnel and other helpers loaded the food into vehicles for delivery to schools throughout the district.

A total of 173 boxes were distributed to the 15 district schools, with each receiving between five and 20 boxes, said Mary Ann Sharp, executive officer for the Iron County Board of Realtors. 

Each box of food was accompanied by a 15-pound frozen turkey and a 10-pound bag of potatoes.

Parents of the recipient students were called in to pick up the food at their child’s school. Recipients were selected by school administrators and staff based on identified needs. 

“The generosity of this community means many students will have a happy holiday,” said Iron County School District spokesperson Shauna Lund. “The district is so thankful for those who contributed.”

“It’s a big, big project,” added Tracy Womack, the school district’s homeless liaison, who said at least 30 volunteers showed up to help move the food. Womack also expressed appreciation to Utah Food Bank and Smith’s grocery store for their assistance and support.

Sharp said the Iron County Board of Realtors raised $2,400 toward the food drive, with top fundraisers Mari Eddy, Sam Dodd and Jim Rushton all being rewarded with a pie in the face during the group’s November luncheon.

Lund also mentioned the various other efforts that were made to brighten the holidays of students in need.

“Additionally, we helped several students with Sub for Santa thanks to the generosity of the Larry H. Miller Family Foundation and Quarters for Christmas,” she said.  “Many schools also held their own food, clothing and other drives to help out.”

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons and one granddaughter. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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