For the second year in a row, the city of Cranston was a sea of orange during a citywide “Go Orange” for the No Kid Hungry campaign this past Halloween.

The “Go Orange” day for the No Kid Hungry drive was started during the fall of last school year by three Cranston Public Schools students, Caroline, Elizabeth and Alexandra Cowart.

This year, more than a dozen schools both public and private – along with City Hall, the Cranston Public Schools central administration and Superintendent Dr. Judith Lundsten – all participated in the drive on Friday, Oct. 31, wearing orange to help raise awareness of the issue of childhood hunger in the Cranston community, more than doubling last year’s participation in the event.

St. David’s on the Hill Episcopal Church also participated in “Go Orange” during its Sunday services on Nov. 2, which coincided with Youth Sunday. More than $1,500 was raised for CCAP, and several food pantries benefited from the hundreds of non-perishable food items that were collected.

Each and every agency or school participating in this year’s drive found a way to make it their own. City offices, several schools and many school faculties held dress down days to raise money by asking those who dressed in orange to make a monetary donation for the food pantries. Many of the schools incorporated “Go Orange” into their curriculum plans for the week, studying statistics on local hunger, learning more about the role of CCAP in the Cranston community, or combining the day with their normal Oct. 31 traditions, including their Boo Out Bullying campaigns.

Several schools held friendly competitions between teams or classes and used incentives to increase participation. Many used their “Go Orange” day to kick off their previously existing Thanksgiving food drives which will be taking place over the next several weeks, filling baskets for local families, or donating to local food pantries.