Hundreds of students from across Monmouth County filled the football field at Howell High School with yellow bags of donated food Sunday to work toward a goal of collecting 100,000 pounds for New Jersey families in need.

The nonprofit Dermer Dreams organized the second annual 100 Yard Food Drive Challenge. Each student leader receives 100 donation bags and has to come up with a plan to fill them up.

“Today is an incredible celebration of the state of new Jersey,” said Daniel Dermer, co-founder of Dermer Dreams, “We're being hosted by Howell High School at the 100 Yard Food Drive Challenge. But we also have our drop sites at Rumson, Fair Haven, up north in Montclair, down south in Egg Harbor. And the entire state today is just thriving. And the food is coming in everywhere from everybody. So we're able to provide it to these food banks, and you can't imagine the difference in makes for them throughout the entire winter.”

The food will go to kitchens, shelters and other organizations across the state. Wallace Woods, with the Lunch Break nonprofit in Red Bank, said it’s a crucial helping hand in a difficult time for many.

“Times are hard right now. So the more food comes, the more money Lunch Break saves to spend on another thing. Because now we're trying to get into housing and help people find housing and everything else. And this helps with that also,” Woods said.

Volunteers spent the chilly, but sunny, morning carrying donations from cars to the field, then placed the bags in rows along the full 100 yards.

Stacy Gregorakis, a Howell High School teacher who helped organize the event, said it gives students a chance to use what they learn for good.

“It’s an amazing thing to see the youth come in and lead these type of initiatives and learn real life skills of how to manage money and market and organize these things that we learn in the classroom. And they’re actually utilizing it in the real world,” Gregorakis said.

Senior Madison Moore said she was amazed how willing folks were to donate,

“I’m so excited. I was able to give my bags to my neighbors and they all filled it with gratitude. They were so amazing,” Moore said.

Arianna Mustacchio, also a senior, said she was glad to spend a Sunday helping.

“Having such a great community to be able to come out here on a Sunday, and just help my community and just be here with all my friends and know that I’m doing a good thing today,” Mustacchio said.

Howell High School Principal Jeremy Braverman said the turnout showed what students can do,

“Kids will step up to the plate. All you got to do is just believe in a kid and great things happen,” Braverman said.

The first 100 Yard Food Drive Challenge was held on Oct. 26, 2025, at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School and drew more than 1,000 students and their families.

Alyse and Dan Dermer, of Fair Haven, are the founders of Dermer Dreams.