AUBURN — Edward Little High School student leaders will host fundraising events, including an obstacle course and a bake sale, at the high school track Sunday morning.

Everyone is invited, said student organizers Emily Piper and Sarah Charest. The event is being held by the school’s student councilors, who number more than 100 and represent all four grades.

Fees for attending will be donations of canned food or clothing that will be given to a nonprofit organization, students said. 

Some of the activities include a 9:30 a.m. run, which will be two laps around the track for all ages; an obstacle course (jumping over hula hoops, bouncy ball races, short hurdles) also at 9:30; high school football players running drills for youngsters (no tackles) throughout the morning; plus lawn games including cornhole and spike ball; a bake sale; and a craft station to create hand-shaped turkeys.

Registration for the events begin at 9 a.m. In case of rain, activities will be moved indoor to the school’s gymnasium.

The morning will be an all-ages event, students said.

The goal of the “Eddies 10,000 Strong” is to drum up donations for local charities.

“We’re trying to help the community,” Piper said. “We have a ton of different organizations we want to donate to. We did the same last year.”

Last year’s event was called “Eddies 1,000 Strong,” with the goal of collecting 1,000 donated items. This year the goal has been pushed to collecting 10,000 donated items.

“We want to push ourselves to help the community,” Piper said.

The fundraising morning has been opened to the community “because it’s a big task, and we wanted to make it fun at the same time,” she said.

Organizations that students are helping include Safe Voices, The Salvation Army, Trinity Jubilee Center, the Edward Little food pantry, Good Shepherd Food Bank, Hope Haven, New Beginnings and Ms. Eretzian’s “Holiday Shop,” a room where low-income families can go for Christmas presents for family members at little or no cost.

All kinds of donations are needed. Safe Voices needs hygiene products, spices, nonperishable food. The Salvation Army needs winter clothing for children and adults, jackets, hats, scarves and mittens.

Help from the event is crucial to agencies that have an ever-rising demand from those in need, Student Council adviser Craig Jipson said. The agencies are receiving less funding and have had budgets and staffing reduced, he said.

He and students said they want to help those in need. You never know what someone next to you is going through, Piper said.

“It hurts to think someone your age just like you could be going without the necessary things they need,” she said.

Sarah Charest left, and Emily Piper, in the Edward Little High School library with some of the cans of food they are collecting. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

Go and do

What: “Eddies 10,000 Strong” fundraiser for local charities.

When: 9:30-noon Sunday, Nov. 11.

Where: Edward Little High School track.

Admission: Donations of canned food, winter clothing or other items.