SALINE GIVES: With Saline High School Closed, #HeftyTheHornet Finds a New Home at Busch's

On behalf of Saline High School Student Council, seniors Aditya Arora and Daniel Kang have produced a donation display currently set up at the Busch's Fresh Food Market. 

The 8-foot display was originally designed and planned to be a centerpiece of Saline High School’s hallways as part of a donation drive for Saline Area Social Service. However, when students were sent back home and the classrooms were once again empty, “Hefty” the Giving Hornet was given a new purpose. 

"Before in-person school got canceled, we had this idea to bring back school spirit and simultaneously centralize the donation efforts of the many organizations at our school. But before we could carry out our plans, everything came to a halt and we didn't know what to do with it," said Daniel Kang, Student Council Secretary. "Fortunately, we came to the realization that we didn’t need to restrict ourselves to just the student body, so it translated pretty well.”

Despite lockdown running their original plans, the pair decided to continue with their plans anyways. For the past month, Hefty’s design and construction continued in Daniel’s basement while Aditya contacted multiple members of the community to find the perfect place for the display to be placed.

In order to adapt to the virtual circumstances, the students had to get creative, said Aditya Arora, Student Council President So they created a community hashtag to go along with Hefty.

“Our goal is to have Hefty spread across social media in Saline like wildfire. We have made #HeftyTheHornet a social media challenge. You take your picture with Hefty, then when you post, you tag three more friends to keep the challenge going. Each of those friends can also take a picture and challenge three more friends,” Arora said.

They hope to see social media feeds fill up with #HeftyTheHornet

"I just really want to see families, children, and even senior citizens get excited about taking a picture with Hefty," Kang said.

The snow-white hornet is also accepting donations of toiletries, hygiene products, and non-perishable food items—all conveniently located in the aisles of your local Busch’s—from every member of the community. This display is also contributing to gifting those in need with the necessities they require this holiday season.

The students believe that the #HeftyTheHornet is exactly what Saline needs this holiday season. “I think our display is a great solution to our global dilemma. Many of us are isolated from our friends and loved ones in a time when we usually come together. By connecting virtually through Hefty, we can unite our community for the holidays," Arora said.

Here are some of the suggested items for the Donation-Drive:

• Q-Tips
• Cotton Balls
• Toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Body Wash
• Toilet paper
• BandAids
• Dish Soap
• Garbage Bags
• Any non-perishable foods.

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