Teens Kick Off School Year With Inaugural 100 YARD FOOD DRIVE CHALLENGE

RUMSON, N.J. - Sept. 4, 2025 - PRLog -- Dermer Dreams is kicking off the 2025–26 school year with a call to action for students across Central New Jersey to join the inaugural 100 Yard Food Drive Challenge and help fight hunger, one bag at a time. On Sunday, October 26, 2025, students will gather at Rumson-Fair Haven (RFH) High School (74 Ridge Road, Rumson, NJ 07760) with the goal of filling the football field from end zone to end zone with donated food. Dermer Dreams gratefully recognizes the corporate support of PSE&G, New Jersey Natural Gas, and neighborhood partners such as Montecalvo/Bayshore Family of Companies and Volvo of Red Bank, along with other supporters listed at dermerdreams.org.

The Challenge is powered by the Dermer Dreams Neighborhood Captain Program, which equips each student captain with 100 donation bags and a simple playbook to organize their own food drive. Captains engage friends, family, teammates, and local businesses to collect donations, then deliver them to the RFH field on event day. Participants earn 10 community service hours while making a meaningful impact in their community. "This is more than a food drive. It is a student-led movement to make sure hunger has no place in our communities," said Dan Dermer, co-founder of Dermer Dreams. "We provide the tools; students bring dedication and creativity."

The Goal: Fill the Field: In just one day, Dermer Dreams aims to cover the RFH football field with yellow donation bags, creating a powerful visual of youth-led service and its impact on local food insecurity. "Together, we can fill a football field and fill pantry shelves," said Alyse Dermer, co-founder of Dermer Dreams. This effort comes at a critical time. According to Fulfill NJ, food pantry visits in Monmouth and Ocean counties rose by about 92% between 2022 and 2024, and today approximately 110,000 residents rely on local food pantries, soup kitchens, and distribution sites each month, more than twice the number served before the pandemic. Participation is free, and Dermer Dreams provides all materials needed for a successful drive. Learn more and sign up at dermerdreams.org. For sponsorship opportunities, contact alyse@dermerdreams.org

About Dermer Dreams: Founded by Alyse and Dan Dermer, Dermer Dreams is a New Jersey-based nonprofit powered by teenagers to Fight Hunger… One Bag at a Time. Students lead their own food drives using official Dermer Dreams bags, developing leadership skills and strengthening communities while addressing food insecurity. This year, Dermer Dreams is on track to achieve its milestone goal of one million pounds of food collected. To date, students have gathered 873,019 pounds of food for distribution to food banks across New Jersey.