District, Club Collect Food

Superintendent Will Work From Atop Building If Goal's Met

Michael Poore, Bentonville Schools superintendent, works Wednesday amid a growing pile of donated food items in his office at the district’s Administration Building in Bentonville. Poore is taking nonperishable food donations to benefit the Samaritan House in Rogers through Tuesday. He hopes enough donations will be made to force him out of his office and onto the building’s roof.
Michael Poore, Bentonville Schools superintendent, works Wednesday amid a growing pile of donated food items in his office at the district’s Administration Building in Bentonville. Poore is taking nonperishable food donations to benefit the Samaritan House in Rogers through Tuesday. He hopes enough donations will be made to force him out of his office and onto the building’s roof.

— The Bentonville School District superintendent and School Board president are at it again. This time the superintendent could end up on the roof.

A food drive by the Bentonville School District and Bentonville Rotary seeks donations for enough items to fill the superintendent’s office.

At A Glance

Nutritional Items

The Samaritan Center in Rogers provides peanut-free nutritional items in its SnackPacks for Kids. Those items are listed below. Other items will be used for its food pantry.

• Hunts Shelf Stable Pudding Cups

• Austin Cheese Crackers

• Maruchan Raman Noodles

• Quaker Instant Oatmeal

• Nutri-Grain and Little Debbie Cereal Bars

• Rice Krispie Treats

• Little Debbie Marshmallow Bars

• Peanut-free fruit snacks and fruit cups that have a plastic top or metal container

Source: Samaritan Center

Superintendent Michael Poore will work from the district administration building roof if that goal is accomplished.

Food donated will be given to Samaritan Community Center, Poore said.

Travis Riggs, board president, said he hasn’t forgotten about a bet he lost to Poore last year.

“I am going to do my part to fill his office,” Riggs said. “I am going to load my truck Friday and bring it over to his office.”

Riggs bet Poore he would get fewer than 500 people to attend a community forum in September 2011. The losing party would pay $500 to the Bentonville Schools Foundation.

“He got so many people that I had to write a check for $500,” Riggs said. “I am definitely participating in this.”

Riggs said he is willing to spend another $500 on canned food to see Poore spend a day on the roof.

The food drive will help a good cause, Poore said.

Students who receive free and reduced breakfast and lunches at school will not have those options over the holiday break, Poore said.

“Students are so reliant on school lunches and breakfast programs that when they don’t have those programs it is hard on them,” Poore said. “We are hoping this will help overcome that.

Mary Mann, director of community relations for the Samaritan Center, said a SnackPacks For Kids program provided by the center helps battle hunger at home.

“We send out 5,500 snack packs every weekend to 91 schools in Benton, Washington, Carroll and Madison counties,” Mann said. “At Christmas or Thanksgiving we send an extra bag for that week. We will send out 10,000 bags in the next two weeks.”

Donations can be dropped at the district administration building, 500 Tiger Blvd., between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays until Tuesday.

George Spence, district legal council, was asked about any liability concerns about Poore working on the roof.

“I think this is a risk the district is probably willing to take,” Spence said.

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