Blitzing the Holidays with Brightness: 27 Years and Counting

The year was 1997. Titanic, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and Men In Black were the three biggest films of the year, and a brand-new company called Netflix started as an online DVD rental service. It was also the year that students and staff at Clackamas High School, then located in the building currently home to Alder Creek Middle School, created a schoolwide donation drive to help one local family have a much brighter holiday season.

Fast forward 27 years, and along with four more Jurassic Park movies, three Men In Black sequels, and Netflix now worth nearly $400 billion, Clackamas High's Winter Blitz has expanded throughout many NCSD schools to brighten the holidays of more than 600 North Clackamas School District families this year alone.

Now a combined effort with students also leading from nearby Adrienne C. Nelson High School (which was still two decades from breaking ground when the project began), the two high school athletic rivals work together during November and December to make sure local NCSD families in need have enough food, clothing, hygiene items, and even toys during the holiday season.

“I chose to help lead the Winter Blitz this year because as a kid, my family definitely struggled to make ends meet, and that has inspired me to help others whenever I can,”  said CHS Key Club President  Joann Liu, who along with Co-President Shannon Lin gathered support from local businesses, organized fundraisers, and spread the word to nearby elementary schools leading their own Winter Blitz donation drives.

“I just love seeing the happiness and joy from the families,” said Lin. “It’s amazing that we are able to provide the resources they need to have a nice holiday.”
With a goal of distributing all the donations to community members on the same day, dozens of volunteers from both high schools spent countless hours sorting everything from socks and stocking caps to soaps and shampoos.

“It feels amazing to be part of something that supports others in such a meaningful way,” shared Nelson sophomore Ashley Cerny, who loved how easy her school made it to participate.  Meanwhile across the sorting area, Nelson freshmen Dayanarah Adlawan and Chloe Wallis were enjoying their first experiences as Winter Blitz volunteers. 

“There are so many families in need, and it feels good to have everyone come together to help out the community,” Adlawan said.

The annual project culminates each year with Winter Blitz Day, when Clackamas High's cafeteria is transformed into a bustling storefront. While some student volunteers line tables with rows of sorted donations for local community members to gather what they need, others deliver boxes directly to neighborhood doorsteps. 

And what started nearly three decades ago in one school community has now grown to include two high schools, two middle schools, and eight elementary schools…all united with a single goal of spreading holiday cheer throughout the entire district for many more decades to come.