CHS/SJA Go ‘Head to Head’ in Can Week Challenge

A  friendly competition can raise the Lenten practice of almsgiving “to the next level.” Catholic High School and St. Joseph’s Academy, both in Baton Rouge, are doing so through March 26 in a Can Week collection competition. The event is one of the largest collection drives of the year for the Greater Baton Rouge Area Food Bank (GBRFB), and significantly helps reduce food insecurity in the area.

The culmination of Can Week is Challenge Day on April 4. The CHS Bears and SJA Redstickers will meet on the Catholic High School football field and compete in field events. The winner will take home the coveted two-tiered Challenge Day trophy. Points earned through meeting their food collection drive goals factor into the schools' overall scores to see who will emerge the victor, which is ultimately people in need.  

Additionally, the winning school’s student council president and vice president get to “pie” the losing school’s student council president and vice-president. 

Last year CHS broke SJA’s two-year winning streak in the event.


“The trophy is in the hall for all to see,” said Ben Bailey, chairman of CHS’ collection drive.

When the results were announced in last year’s competition, the schools saw they reached their Can Week collection goals and how much schools can do to help others in the face of glaring food insecurity.

CHS collected enough food poundage and monetary donations to provide 34,427 meals for families in need. SJA raised enough food poundage and monetary donations to provide 28,352 meals. Both schools provided a combined 62,779 meals for families in poverty.

This year the spirits are high at SJA, and the students are determined to get the trophy back, according to Olivia Funes and Raegan O’Brian, co-chairs of SJA collection drive.

The theme of this year’s SJA can collection drive is “G.I. Joseph,” and all Redstickers are called to the “frontline” to combat hunger.


“Last year, one of the most exciting moments of the whole (Challenge) day, and what kept me going and wanting the trophy, was the fact that that we don’t know the results of the can drive until we are on the field at the Challenge,” said Funes. “The anticipation was just exhilarating to have to wait for that.”

The goal for both schools this year is to collect 24 pounds or more cans per student. That would approximately equal 27,000 pounds or more each for each school.

“The fact that this year we will help (the Food Bank) sort, move, and package our cans to help the community will help bring lots of motivation for the girls,” said Funes.

O’Brian agreed:

“I am most looking forward to for this week is to see our sticker sisters being so passionate about helping feed those less fortunate than us – and beating Catholic of course. I think it is a wonderful opportunity for us to engage in friendly competition that also supports a greater good.”


Catholic High is motivated to keep the trophy for a second year in a row.

This year’s Can Week Challenge is “Despicable Bears,” which is based on the “Despicable Me” movie. CHS will have fun and “change things up” based on the theme this year, according to Bailey.

A strong inspiration for CHS to compete well during Can Collection Week and Challenge Day is the Brothers of the Sacred Heart.

“With the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, it comes down to them making a huge impact in every community they are in,” said Bailey. “Although the numbers in their religious order aren’t as high as they’ve always been, we still show their charism of service through the students and the community. We haven’t lost that touch. We have three brothers on campus, and they are into it as much as every student is."

The Can Week Collection serves a two-fold purpose, according to Mike Manning, president and chief executive officer of GBRFB. It provides meals for the food insecure, and it raises awareness about their needs.  

Donations to the GBRFB often fall off after the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, said Manning.

“Lent is an opportunity where, because of the Catholic faith and the Catholic approach to Lent with almsgiving, fasting, and prayer, it really helps for the schools to do this event. It especially helps us to build a nice little nest egg for us to bridge us over summer, when those donations drop even more.”

“With Catholic High School and St. Joseph’s Academy, two of the larger schools in the area with such a great history and such great alumni, this outreach can get the word out about the issue of food insecurity,” said Manning.


Each school has a goal of collecting 24 pounds of cans per student. People can donate cans directly or make financial donations, which will all be used for the purchase of canned food items.

To donate to SJA’s drive, you can bring non-perishable canned food items to SJA’s main office on Broussard Street any time between 6:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. For information and to make online donations, visit sjabr.org/student-life/community-and-traditions/annual-can-drive.

For CHS, canned goods, rice, or peanut butter can be dropped off at the school office during regular school hours. Donations can also be made at Goodwood Hardware & Outdoors, 7539 Jefferson Hwy. Baton Rouge, or Bet-R Neighborhood Market, 2812 Kalurah St., Baton Rouge (under the Perkins Road overpass). Information on how to make monetary donations online can be found catholichigh.org/student-life/clubs/can-week.