As winter break approaches, a spirit of giving back to the community is once again sweeping through buildings across the Moorhead Area Public Schools district. Students and staff are raising funds and collecting donations to help those in need during the 2024 holiday season.
The most visible charitable effort that MAPS students and staff—and those from schools around the Red River Valley—participated in was the 18th annual Fill The Dome event. A friendly competition between area high schools, Fill the Dome collects food and money donations for the Great Plains Food Bank every November. With Moorhead High School’s Student Council once again taking the lead, contributions poured in from every school in the district.
In the end, Moorhead High School, and the entire district by extension, earned top honors for collecting the most donations. In all, the event collected 119,552 pounds of food and raised over $30,000—generating nearly 100,000 meals for those in need this holiday season.
This generous holiday spirit has not stopped with Fill the Dome. Schools across the district continue to look for ways to give back. At the high school level, MHS teachers and administrators are preparing to take pies to the face for the Holiday Cheer Pie-A-Teacher event. Students will buy raffle tickets for a chance to pie MHS staffers in the face, with the money raised going to purchase holiday gifts for MHS students in need.
Horizon Middle School will continue its holiday tradition with a couple important charitable projects. First, the Joy Project will see students at Horizon West take donations of fleece and tie them into blankets to help keep people warm this winter. In 2023, the Joy Project put together over 140 blankets. Second, Horizon will hold its second holiday drive to benefit the Spud Mart. In 2023 the first Holiday Giving Tree event helped stock the Spud Mart with hygiene items, socks, toiletries, feminine hygiene products and other basic needs.
MAPS elementary schools are also getting in on philanthropic efforts this holiday season. Schools including Dorothy Dodds Elementary and S.G. Reinertsen Elementary are collecting new or gently used winter outerwear such as hats and gloves to donate to help during our already-chilly winter.
To find out more about community-minded efforts taking place in your school, or to help coordinate one, contact your school office or social worker.