2018 Rogers Scholar Wade Copley coordinated a Thanksgiving food drive for Pike County families for his Rogers Scholars community service project.

2018 Rogers Scholar Wade Copley organized a Thanksgiving food drive for his Rogers Scholars community service project.

Copley, a junior at Pikeville High School, collected non-perishable food items for holiday food baskets and assisted the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in sorting clothing donations for Pike County families.

The Thanksgiving food and clothing drives were a collaborative effort between students and club members at Pikeville High School and Pikeville Elementary School.

Around two weeks before the start of the Thanksgiving holidays, Copley launched the food drive portion of the project. He placed boxes, donated by Pike County’s Lowe’s store, in student classrooms to collect non-perishable food items.

“The Thanksgiving food drive meant a lot to me, because it allowed me to help others in my community,” said Copley. “Many families had a more enjoyable Thanksgiving without having to worry about purchasing food. I enjoy being a blessing to others, because I have been so blessed myself.”

The food drive served 50 families in the Pikeville Independent School District. Copley also helped members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes sort clothes for a community clothing drive at Pikeville Elementary School while he packed food for the holiday food drive.

“This could not have been successful without the involvement of so many people working together with the school district,” Copley said.

The Thanksgiving food and clothing drives were made possible through partnerships with Pikeville High School Family Resource and Youth Services Center, Pike County High School Teens Who Care, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

“The service and love that our kids are showing should be encouraging,” said Jordan Johnson, sponsor of the Pikeville High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes. “It should motivate others to understand more about the needs around us and be more like these students and take action to help.”

Copley is the son of Randy and Karena Copley of Pikeville.