Students at Jay High School (JHS) are assisting the Santa Rosa County University of Florida Institute of Agricultural Sciences Extension Office by collecting jars of peanut butter throughout November.
First period classes at the high school are competing against each other in collecting the most containers of peanut butter.
Carlisle Griffin, assistant principal at JHS, said she will once again don the peanut costume while serving breakfast to the winning class on Nov. 24.
Griffin said the school accumulated the most peanut butter in the county in a previous competition.
She said the school’s participation in the drive is just one way the school can support the local extension office. “They are involved with a lot of things at Jay High School,” she said.
The local extension office has helped with maintaining the healthy grass on the school’s football field, Griffin cited as an example.
UF IFAS Extension / Santa Rosa County Agriculture agent, John Doyle Adkins said the county-wide competition is a good way to promote school activities.
The collected peanut butter containers go towards a great cause, he said.
“The peanut butter goes to various food banks and churches to help the less fortunate,” Adkins said.
Adkins said the county-wide competition is part of the UF/IFAS Peanut Butter Challenge, in which county extension offices − from Escambia to Jefferson – working with the Florida Peanut Producers Association compete in order to collect the most pounds of peanut butter.
Escambia County won last year’s challenge, the year prior Santa Rosa County collected the most peanut butter. Last year, Santa Rosa County collected 689 pounds in last year’s challenge.
Thanks to the Jay community’s affiliation with peanuts, including the annual Peanut Festival, Griffin believes the school will continue to be well represented.
“Peanuts are a big part of our community,” she said. “I think we will definitely be on top this year.”
Several locations throughout the Santa Rosa County are collecting peanut butter donations, including the local Lowes Home Improvement Store, local public libraries and local schools including King Middle School and Jay High School. The UF /IFAS extension offices within the county are also accepting donations.
The Milton office is located at 6263 Dogwood Drive, the Jay office is located at 5259 Booker Lane and the South Santa Rosa Service Center is located at 5819 Gulf Breeze Parkway.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Jay High School collecting peanut butter to benefit residents in need