The De La Salle Collegiate Pilots faced Brother Rice in the October 11 DLS Homecoming Football Game, defeating the Warriors 42-21.
But in the week leading up to the game, there was also competition behind the scenes at DLS as it was Spirit Week, and classes competed to become the winner and earn a day off.
Students donated over 3,500 pounds of rice that were shared with local food pantries at Gleaners and Our Lady Queen of Apostles Soup Kitchen.
The rice competition began several years ago, replacing the practice of students bringing bags of rice to the annual DLS vs. Rice football game, and then throwing the rice in the air. As both schools typically compete at fields other than those on their own grounds, those field owners weren’t happy with all the leftover rice which was difficult to clean up. Additionally, there were safety concerns in case some rice would hit someone in the eye, causing a potential visual issue.
Principal Brother Ken Kalinowski, FSC, DLS Class of 1984, said, "As a Catholic school, we recognize that many families in the metropolitan Detroit area regularly visit parish food pantries. The folks at the pantries tell us how important these rice bags are for the families they serve, helping to round out a meal, and ensuring that we don’t have children going to bed hungry.”