Students and teachers in Coweta County schools raised 181,969 donated food items or cash equivalents for this year’s Coweta County Can-A-Thon, organized by the Newnan Junior Service League.

East Coweta High School topped giving among Coweta’s schools, with 20,941 items raised. The school's Student Government Association led the way at ECHS, organizing a student-teacher basketball game and other events for this year’s food drive.

Canongate Elementary raised the most among elementary schools, with 19,017 cans and equivalent cash donations, and Lee Middle School topped Coweta’s middle schools, with 16,721 cans or equivalent cash donations. Other schools raising more than 10,000 items included Newnan High School, with 15,743 items raised, and Madras Middle, which raised 14,572 items.

Truett’s Chick-fil-A sponsored this year’s drive. The top classes at the elementary, middle and high school levels for this year’s Can-A-Thon will be given passes for free Chick-fil-A sandwiches at the Newnan restaurant.

In all, the Newnan Junior Service League Drive raised 216,300 items community-wide.  All donations go to the Coweta Community Food Pantry.

“We are absolutely ecstatic about these amazing results,” said Ellie Sonnier, who co-chaired this year’s NJSL Can-A-Thon. “This is one of our best years on record.” Sonnier noted that Coweta County’s public schools raised 84 percent of all donations in Coweta County for the Can-A-Thon.

Coweta County School System schools have traditionally supported the Junior Service League’s annual food drive, and have raised over 100,000 in items or cash donations annually for the drive for several years.