We’re now at the halfway point of the 44th annual KDKA-TV Turkey Fund. If you haven’t donated yet to help our neighbors in need have a warm Thanksgiving meal, maybe take a page out of the playbook at Pittsburgh’s Central Catholic High School.

“At Central Catholic, we preach service. So, whenever there’s something that we feel that we can get involved in to help people, we try to do that,” said Central Catholic senior Bobby Macurak.

Last year, Central Catholic not only won its division in the fourth annual WPIAL Food and Fund Drive, the Vikings were also the overall league leader.

“It was pretty good. I mean not even just winning, but like getting to know we helped all those people. It’s just a really good feeling,” said Central Catholic senior Miles Wienand.

Central Catholic collected enough food and money for an astonishing 15,846 meals for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. League-wide, participating schools collected enough for more than 82,000 meals for people throughout western Pennsylvania. And since the WPIAL Food and Fund Drive began in 2021, WPIAL and City League schools have raised nearly 330,000 meals for the food bank.

“It makes you feel pretty good because you know it’s for a good cause, and once again we see somewhere where we can help and everybody around the community pitches in and really wants to get to our goal that we set for ourselves,” Macurak said. 

Fresh off last year’s win, Central Catholic is hoping for a repeat. They’re currently collecting food for this year’s drive and raising money in various ways, including at their annual fall carnival and through dress-down days. And while the competitive spirit of the fundraiser really helps to energize the students, the reason behind it isn’t lost on them.

“So, the fact that it is a competition does motivate everyone around the school to want to chip in more. But we also don’t forget the real meaning behind it and anything that you can give, win or lose, is still good,” Macurak said.

“We all come together as a community to beat everybody else in the competition but also to help everybody that doesn’t have as much as we do,” Wienand added. 

So, as these students work to help their neighbors have a warm Thanksgiving meal, they’re also learning valuable life lessons about charity and compassion.

“Thanksgiving to me is all about community,” Macurak said.

“Thanksgiving is more than just food to me,” Wienand added. “It’s family, friends, and just being able to hang out and celebrate a holiday where you all appreciate each other. I always think about the people that don’t have as much as me and just getting to know they’re getting the same feeling I am to be able to sit down with a nice meal around their family. It’s pretty cool,” he said.

Because helping others is the ultimate victory.

And now is your chance to help out by donating to the KDKA-TV Turkey Fund. Go to any PNC Bank and they’ll match all donations of $50 or more. You can also text “KDTURKEY” to 50155. Or donate at kdka.com/turkeyfund. And we’re also still accepting checks. Mail them to “PO Box Thanks, Pittsburgh, PA 15230.” From all of us at KDKA-TV, thank you!