By STEPHANIE BRUMFIELD / Staff Writer

ALABASTER – Of the 11,791 canned food items that were collected at Alabaster City Schools Nov. 4-8, Thompson Sixth Grade Center collected the most of any school, announced Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers Nov. 22.

The food drive was held in honor of Doug Trotter, a former science teacher at Thompson Sixth Grade Center who died last year, said Thompson Sixth Grade Principal Neely Woodley.

“He was very community service oriented, and we wanted to do something to honor him,” Woodley said. “I’m just so proud of my students for going above and beyond for our community.”

Of the more than 11,000 cans collected district wide, the students of Thompson Sixth Grade Center raised more than 4,000 cans, Vickers said during the awards ceremony.

“And they only have 512 kids,” he said.

All cans collected during the food drive will be donated to Salvation Army, Manna Ministries, First Baptist Church of Alabaster and the Jimmie Hale Mission.

Greg Ragland, who worked with Trotter as a teacher, served as the ceremony’s guest speaker and said Trotter was a 12-year veteran teacher with nine years of service in the Thompson area.

“Mr. Trotter’s goal wasn’t just to educate students,” Ragland said. “He wanted students to be better people.”

Speaking of the students’ participation in the canned food drive, Ragland said, “Mr. Trotter would be so proud.”

Vickers said everyone who participated was a winner despite the fact that the food drive was a competition.

“Something we pride ourselves in at Alabaster City Schools is giving back to the community and going above and beyond,” Vickers said. “This is an amazing task that has been accomplished.”