Each fall, McQuaid Jesuit joins Jesuit schools across the country in the Great Ignatian Challenge, a friendly competition rooted in our shared Jesuit mission of faith that does justice. Together, we collect food for those in need, working to bring hope, dignity, and nourishment to families facing hunger.
Our Goal:
- 12,000 lbs of non-perishable food
- An average of 15 lbs of food per student, faculty, and staff
If we surpass our 12,000 lbs. goal, Mr. Serafine will ride a scooter from his house to McQuaid (10 miles) while wearing his yellow and black bib overalls and McQuaid bucket hat, proudly carrying the McQuaid flag!
Events, Challenges, and More!
From November 10 – 14, bring in 10+ cans to be entered into a raffle for $100 added to your gold card!
November 13 & 14 8th graders will be competing in a pickleball tournament. Entry fee is 6 cans (or more!)
While attending the fall production of A Sherlock Carol, bring in your cans. (Cash donations will also be accepted!)
Bring in 5 cans between November 17 – 21 to participate in Friday’s (Nov. 21) open dodgeball competition, during Flex!
Every 5 cans will also enter you into a raffle for a $50 Amazon gift card!
Join the IgKnighters as they work to support the rising food insecurity needs of our Rochester community through donations to Foodlink as part of The Great Ignatian Challenge Food Drive!
This year, the IgKnighters will be participating in The Great Ignatian Challenge Food Drive through a little friendly intrateam competition. The whole team, including mentors, will be divided into red and blue alliances. Each alliance will be challenged to see if their team can raise 125 lbs, which is the weight of a competition robot!
Non-perishable food items will be collected, weighed and logged at the beginning of practice so that each alliance’s progress can be documented both on a poster in the STEM center as well as on Instagram (@mcquaid_igknighters). Non-perishable food items can also be dropped off any morning between 7:30 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. in Mr. Schnittman’s room in the STEM center.
The IgKnighters seek engagement year-round with our local community through various fundraisers, volunteer opportunities and educational activities and the Great Ignatian Challenge Food Drive is another way we can give back to our community at a time of great need. Please give generously!
If we collect an additional 2,000 lbs between Monday, Nov. 17 and Friday, Nov. 21, Mr. Hochadel and Mrs. Soprano will serve JUG!
Learn More!
Launched to deepen the spirit of service and solidarity among Jesuit schools, the Great Ignatian Challenge encourages students to live out the call to be “men for and with others.” Schools compete to collect the most non-perishable food items, all of which stay in their local communities to support food pantries and hunger-relief organizations.
At McQuaid, our participation takes the form of a “CAN-petition”…a campus-wide effort to collect as much food as possible through the participation of students, faculty, families, and alumni with one common goal: to stand U-KNIGHT-ED Against Hunger
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), food insecurity is the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. It often forces families to make impossible choices between paying for housing, medical care, or nutritious meals.
Right here in our region:
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- 12.8% of people are considered food insecure.
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- 160,980 individuals live in food-insecure homes.
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- 44,940 of them are children.
Every can, box, and bag of food collected at McQuaid helps change those numbers.
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- Bring in non-perishable food items between October 28 and November 25.
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- Encourage classmates, teammates, and families to get involved.
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- Follow our progress on McQuaid’s Mission & Ministry social media and help us spread awareness.
Together, we can make a difference one can at a time.
