LIBERTY — Students and staff had their competitive spirits ignited as the school community came together to help support one of the organizations doing its part to combat hunger locally Thursday night.

Liberty Local Schools hosted its third annual students vs. staff basketball game, as well as a 50/50 raffle and half-court shot contest to raise funds for the Liberty Food Bank, an operation run by the Church Hill United Methodist Church.

LFB coordinator Sharon Wathen, who has been involved since its inception in 2016, explained that it was started because an administrative assistant with the district saw hungry families and wanted the church to partner with them.

When the food bank started, they had 30 families using it. It now sees between 85 and 95 families monthly, Wathen said.

“Our pantry style for most of the year is what we call ‘in-person.’ The students serve as hosts for the families when they come in. They take them around with the cart, and they can choose or select the foods that they want or don’t want,” Wathen said. “It’s kind of like a grocery shopping experience and most of our families really enjoy that.”

Wathen said when the food bank started in 2016 it was operating on a $350 monthly budget. Between food costs and the uptick of people using the service, that budget is “almost double” now.

“I don’t know what tonight’s proceeds will be, but whatever they are, they will be helpful to help us make sure or ensure we can sustain. That’s our goal,” Wathen said. “We’re going to sustain this pantry for as long as we possibly can by serving the families, having enough money, having enough volunteers — all those things.”

Wathen acknowledged the close-knit relationship the food bank had with the school, which she attributed to their church’s proximity to the schools and the number of parishioners who had relatives graduate through the district.

Wathen said they also serve the district’s own food pantry, which she and her husband, Dan, go to Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley to collect goods to support.

Lindsay Kovach, teacher and student council adviser for fifth and sixth grades, explained that the Liberty schools chose to support the pantry this year because they understand that things have been particularly tough lately.

“They provide all the food at the food pantry at the school that we have, and then obviously our families get food from the church’s food pantry,” Kovach said. “We’re donating to the food pantry because it benefits the entire community.”

Kovach echoed the food bank’s close-knit involvement, noting that in addition to the food pantry, the church has helped with other events.

“The church comes and they did Science Day with them last year — they’re just very involved,” she said.

Kovach said the students were excited ahead of the students vs. staff basketball game, explaining that a pep rally took place Wednesday.

“(We) got them all fired up, so yeah, they were talking smack for a couple of days,” Kovach said.