Wading River Elementary School students and staff are regularly engaged in proactive community service projects as part of their character education program and this year’s annual Food Train Food Drive to support those in need was once again a resounding success.

Many of the students decorated a shoebox, filled it with nonperishable items and brought it to add to the back of a cardboard locomotive. The donations stretched down a hallway and around the corner, from the school’s “Responsibility Road” to “Respect Avenue.”

“Our Character Counts team recognized that people need food and other items throughout the year, not just the winter holidays,” said reading teacher Kelly Toole, one of the coordinators of the drive. “It’s nice to see the caring community that we live in.”

The boxes were delivered to the local church food pantries at St. Anselm’s, St. John’s and St. Mark’s.