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2019 Battle of the Ax is win-win for Denison

This year’s highly competitive Battle of the Ax was once again a win-win for the entire Denison community: the Yellow Jackets brought home the coveted ax, and Denison ISD won the annual Canned Food Drive – all for the seventh year in a row!

According to Jeanne-Anne Tye, DHS Student Council Adviser and English teacher, her high-energy student council members were beyond excited after Denison ISD campuses collected a record 43,481 food items for local residents in need – a whopping 9,000 more than last year’s tally.

“Our Battle of the Axe food drive is a fun and fiercely competitive event that’s been one of our student council’s favorite projects for many years, because it helps so many of our friends, neighbors and families. And of course, we’re always in it to win it, which we did by a very healthy margin!” said Tye. “We kicked off this year’s competition August 19th on all our campuses, and it didn’t end until the last item was collected on August 30th. Everyone was involved…and everyone had great incentives: at DHS. the class with the highest collection-to-student ratio won a Pizza Party; Scott Middle School hosted a 7th vs. 8th grade contest with a popcorn party for the winner; B. Mac Teams also competed for a popcorn party; and the elementary school with the highest collection-to-student ratio got a trip to DHS to enjoy a fun Movie Day!”

Courtney Hubbard, 8th grade English teacher at Scott Middle School, said this year’s drive was a win-win for all her students. “In addition to hundreds of food items, my 7th period students donated over $300 to feed the hungry, and my 5th period class added an additional $70 to that amount. Each dollar raised buys an average of five food items…which computes to 1,850 cans. I’m just so extremely proud of these kids. Their hearts are in the right place…and you know they’ll enjoy that popcorn party!”

According to Tye, DHS Student Council members also sold Food Drive t-shirts for $20 each which proved very successful…touting it as a “great way to have a large impact on the food drive AND get a nice wearable product in return!” Tye said the kids proudly wore the shirts as often as possible…and that created a lot of demand.

“CJ’s Coffee and Knight Family Chiropractic also partnered with us this year, which helped us set this incredible new record of more than 43,480 cans,” said Tye. “We won this year’s battle by more than 28,000 cans. Wow! We’re just so proud of what we were able to accomplish…as a school district and a community full of very generous and caring people!”

DHS Student Council members gathered to celebrate this year’s Battle of the Axe double victory: the Yellow Jackets’ win on the football field and the district’s Canned Food Drive victory – for the 7th year in a row. “We collected more than 43,480 food items,” said Student Council Sponsor Jeanne-Anne Tye. “Wow! We’re just so proud of what we were able to accomplish…as a school district and a community full of very generous and caring people!”

Houston teacher Lisa Tyson and her kindergarten students echoed the sentiments of the entire school district and community by holding up seven fingers, symbolic of this year’s Battle of the Ax and Canned Food Drive victories – for the 7th year in a row.

Courtney Hubbard’s 8th graders at Scott Middle School donated $370 in cash as well as hundreds of canned food items to win their school’s 2019 Battle of the Ax Food Drive. “I’m just so extremely proud of these kids. Their hearts are in the right place,” said Hubbard.

The coveted Ax traveled to campuses throughout Denison ISD, compliments of DISD Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Chad Rogers and Assistant AD and Girls Basketball Coach Rod Been. “The goal is to inspire and motivate our kids at the lower grade levels to always work hard and do their best as they journey toward success in sports, school and life,” said Rogers.

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