Meadowlark School is helping less fortunate people by doing a fun activity called “Wrap-a-Gift-for-Giving Contest”. This project helps collect food for the Salvation Army. Students from Meadowlark School participate in this project every year to help less fortunate children by decorating the top of a box to win a prize, and putting non-perishable foods inside.

Mrs. Olesen created this idea in July of 1991. She was traveling on a bus waiting to arrive at Chicago, already thinking of Christmas. Mrs. Olesen, a remarkable librarian, thought of doing a project that could feed children that were going to school with an empty stomach. Before coming to Meadowlark, she already started this contest in Mayfield School. The food that is collected stays in Edmonton. Already helping thousands of people, she continues to help them every Christmas.

Everyone is a winner in this contest, even if they don’t get a prize because people who give, are always a winner. But it is not the outside of the box that is really important; it’s the food inside that counts.