VANCOUVER — One family tradition will transfer to another family, but one thing will remain the same: The Clark County Youth Football and Titans Youth Foundation Jamboree Food Drive.
The event, Saturday at McKenzie Stadium, is one of the largest drives for the Clark County Food Bank.
This is the ninth edition of the drive, which is organized by students.
“It’s good for high schoolers, and younger kids, to start getting involved in community service,” said Keith Lobis, who will be a senior at Union this school year. “If they do that at a young age, they are more likely to contribute to things like this when they are older. It gives them that motivation to help others.”
Lobis has been running the drive along with Dylan Henry, who will also be a senior at Union. ‘
Dylan took over the even from his older brother Nolan. Keith Lobis has been helping Dylan since he was a freshman. And next year, Keith’s sister Drew will take over the event.
It is quite the undertaking, too.
The drive has raised more than 100,000 pounds of food in each of the past two years. There are 37 Clark County Youth Football teams that are participating this year.
It all gets added up at McKenzie Stadium.
“I’ve just grown up always giving back to the community,” Dylan Henry said, noting he wants to have a servant’s heart. “We can make a difference, too.”
He also wants the CCYF players to understand the importance of charity.
“We hope to give young athletes and their families opportunities to give back, and it is our hope that the CCYF players are inspired to become lifelong stewards in our community,” Henry said.
Organizing the event means asking local businesses for donations for the raffle that raises funds for the food bank. Lobis said it was a little overwhelming at first, but now it is second nature.
“The worst thing somebody can say is no,” Lobis said.
Organizers also line up sponsors for the event.
Next year, it will be up to Drew Lobis, also a student at Union, to put in the work.
“It will be great having my sister doing it. I’ll get to see her progress as a person, too,” Keith Lobis said. “Being able to help her do it has been a great brother-sister bonding experience.”
This year’s big event is Saturday but Union football fans can donate on Friday at the team’s scrimmage.
Then on Saturday, the drive goes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at McKenzie Stadium.
