The Newton boys basketball team conducted another successful food drive as part of the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s Achieve Challenge. The Achieve Challenge is a statewide community service initiative for Iowa schools and their basketball programs. Participating basketball teams select a service project, allowing them to compete in an Achieve Challenge Scrimmage. The Cardinal boys scrimmaged at Carlisle this past Tuesday, after hosting a food drive at the Newton Hy-Vee. Newton head coach Jason Carter says the drive was another success, just as it has been the past four or five years.

“We got tons of food donations thanks to our community. Pretty much every year we have filled up our food pantries at Berg Middle School and all our elementary schools as well. So the counselors had another opportunity to grab a ton of food to help their food pantries for our families in need.”

Carter says the team also accepted cash donations for the Jasper County United Way. Last year’s total was between $1,600 and $1,700, and this year’s contribution was nearly $2,000.