Rachel Osborne

Sophomore Lily Briscoe hands in her money she earned for the Walk-a-Thon to teacher sponsor Annie Wayland. The Walk-a-Thon ends ‘West Chest Week’, a week of efforts to raise money for local charity West Chest. “The charity West Chest comes right back to our own West community and helps those families in need. There are far more families that need this help than most students recognize,” West Chest sponsor Susan Anderson said.

With Thanksgiving approaching, many organizations throughout the United States are hosting food drives and are collecting money to help families financially during the holiday. More locally, Longhorn Council (LOCO), Captain’s Council and Drug Free Council (DFC) are sponsoring the annual “West Chest Week.”

“West Chest is an organization managed by LOCO. They collect money to help families in the West community who are in distress or need financial aid and try to stabilize these families in their time of need,” sophomore Abby Allgeyer said.

To help build student support of the event, thank-you cards are sold during lunch in the cafeteria for $1. These letters will be delivered on Monday and Tuesday the 25^th and 26^th.

“The thank-you letters work like a candy gram: students buy them and write a note to their friend or boyfriend or whomever, and the LOCO members will collect them and attach candy to them and hand them out right before Thanksgiving!” senior LOCO member Kayla Everett said.

West Chest Week will culminate on Friday the 22^nd with a Walk-a-Thon on the track.

“Everyone in Captains Council and DFC is encouraged to make a team of people to walk. For every lap on the track someone walks, they are given a predetermined amount of money from their sponsors. So, if I walked four laps and my sponsors promised me four dollars per lap, I would earn sixteen dollars,” Allgeyer said.

People participating in the Walk-a-Thon will be able to purchase food and drink; Jamba Juice and a Slice of the Hill food truck will be present for participants to buy refreshments.

“I’m excited for the food truck and especially for Jamba Juice – everyone should come to buy some smoothies!” Everett said.

Anyone can join the Walk-a-Thon, which takes place Friday from 3-9 pm. Teams of up to 10 people can also participate if they sign up with Annie Wayland by Friday.

“The charity West Chest comes right back to our own West community and helps those families in need. There are far more families that need this help than most students recognize,” West Chest sponsor Susan Anderson said.