What started as a typical gift exchange between the teams for the holidays turned into a competition to fight hunger locally.

The Pella boys and girls basketball players challenged each other and their fans to collect food for the Pella Community Food Shelf at both of their basketball games this week.

Senior Elly Cairney says it was competition that brought out the best in her classmates, and she’s thankful for the opportunity to help out families in need during the holidays.

“It was just awesome to go do with my teammates–that made it a ton more fun,” she says. “It was great to help out the community in that way.”

“It’s great to know that we’re helping them out and especially on the holidays, because this is when family, friends, and community are needed most.”

Cairney and her teammates Grace Held, Courtney Thompson, and Faith Diers filled two shopping carts earlier this week for the effort, and Cairney says the boys worked to do some after-school shopping before their opening tip against Norwalk Friday.