Organized by Dermer Dreams, the challenge aimed to fill the field "from end zone to end zone" with donated bags of food. See details:
RUMSON, NJ — The football field at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School was recently transformed into a sea of yellow as Dermer Dreams, a NJ-based nonprofit powered by teens, achieved its goal of filling the field from end zone to end zone with donated bags of food.
On Sunday, Oct. 26, about 1,000 students and their families from across New Jersey came together for the inaugural 100 Yard Food Drive Challenge, a community event that highlighted the power of youth leadership and teamwork in the fight against hunger.
“This is about understanding that we all have the ability to do something bigger to help others,” said Daniel Dermer, co-founder and CEO of Dermer Dreams. “When young people take the lead, the impact is incredible.”
Through its Neighborhood Captain Program, Dermer Dreams equips students with 100 donation bags and a playbook to organize food drives in their communities.
Each captain then recruits friends, family, and neighbors to fill their bags and deliver them to one of the collection sites across the state. Participants earn community service hours while learning about leadership, organization, and the importance of giving back.
“You never know what someone might be going through, and helping others reminds us to appreciate what we have,” Student Volunteer Cole Spoonire said. “It feels good to make a difference.”
In just one afternoon on Sunday, tens of thousands of food bags were collected and distributed to food banks across New Jersey, event organizers said.
The event offered both immediate support for families in need and a lasting lesson in compassion and civic engagement for the students who were involved.
With SNAP benefits soon set to be interrupted, organizers said the project turned out to be “an extremely timely and impactful event.”
“To actually walk down those stairs and see what the field looked like was just breathtaking,” said Jeremy Schulte, head football coach at Rumson-Fair Haven.
Founded by Alyse and Dan Dermer of Fair Haven, Dermer Dreams has become a statewide movement for change that’s powered by teenagers to “fight hunger one bag at a time.”
Thanks to overwhelming community support, the nonprofit has exceeded its original goal of raising one million pounds of food for people who are food insecure.
“It was communities across New Jersey that made the Dermer Dream come true,” Alyse Dermer said.
To learn more about Dermer Dreams, volunteer, or make a donation, you can visit their website.