This past weekend, South held their annual Walk for Warmth. A walk around the neighborhood to raise awareness of the struggles families face with paying utility bills. Instead of asking students to make a money donation, organizers ask for students to simply bring two cans of non-perishable food items to support the redwing food pantry. In regards of how many cans were donated, head organizer Nicole Schumacher states, “Over 1,000 items were collected on Saturday”. The food is donated to people in the community who struggle with supplying food for themselves. In previous years, organizers had asked students to raise money for the event, but changed the rule a couple of years ago due to the abundance of money in the redwing account. Many students enjoy bringing non-perishable items to support the community of Sheboygan. Senior Kassidy Murphy has participated in Walk for Warmth in previous years. When asked about how she felt about the walk, she replied with, “I love it! You get to do something great for the community and be with the people you love being around”. Students can walk and talk with friends and enjoy the simplicity of the event. Walk for Warmth is a great way for students to socialize with peers and meet new ones as well. The students who participate in Walk for Warmth receive a free shirt and a lunch in the commons afterward. This excites many students including Junior Lauren Edson. When asked what her favorite part of the walk was, Edson replied with, “Hanging out with my friends…plus the free shirt and food”. Many students wear their shirt during the walk to show their support. This year the shirts were designed red with a summer and winter scenario. As students walked the sidewalks of south, neighbors and residents of Sheboygan were surprised to see an army of high schoolers in red shirts. The group had surprisingly warm weather as oppose to previous years with snow and freezing temperatures. Many freshmen this year participated and it was the first time doing so. Freshman Robert Hamburg participated in the event this past Saturday and stated, “It was nice to have a change of pace and hang out with friends and ones close to you”. Freshmen often find it hard to get involved in school activities and many feel that walk for warmth is a nice way to do so. Many people brought parents, family members, and even a couple furry four legged friends as well. Walk for Warmth encourages high school students to integrate with other grades and get involved in the school. Upperclassmen feel the same way as well, when asked what aspect he liked about the gathering, Sophomore Louis Xiong, stated “It’s great seeing a bunch of people from school gather around. I liked that I also hung out with friends and met new people too”. In regards to Walk for Warmth in 2016, Schumacher replied with, “Next year is the 15th anniversary, so we’re going to have a bigger and better walk next year!” Walk for Warmth is a great way to get involved in your community and school. It’s a great way to connect with friends and raise awareness for a great cause. In the upcoming years, Walk for Warmth will continue to bring people together to help the community and boost the recognition of helping people one can at a time.