Gary Knight Jr. and Quantae Hobbs already have their Thanksgivings planned out.

&uot;My mom cooks turkey and then I go and watch football,&uot; said Gary, 12. &uot;I like the Minnesota Vikings.&uot;

&uot;We eat and cook together and then we go into the other room,&uot; said Quantae, 12. &uot;We play games and watch the football games.&uot;

Because of them and the rest of the John F. Kennedy Middle School community, some who don’t get to experience such a Thanksgiving will get a taste of celebration, both literally and figuratively. The students and staff collected nearly 1,100 items during their annual canned food drive over the past month.

&uot;I know homeless people, and they’re hungry, struggling to survive,&uot; said Quantae. &uot;I just wanted to help them out.&uot;

The food will be donated to the Salvation Army, said guidance counselor LeVisa Jordan, one of the co-chairs of the event. Jordan also reported that the children had donated about 20 coats for the Army.

&uot;We have a lot of cans at home, and there’s lot of people who don’t have anything on Thanksgiving,&uot; said Quena Burks. &uot;Homeless people don’t have a lot of food, and it makes them feel sad.&uot;

Every week, the Army hands out food to the area needy. For the holiday, said Capt. Mark Banks, they’ll be putting together Thanksgiving boxes for Suffolk’s elderly.

&uot;We’re very appreciative (of the food collections),&uot; Banks said. &uot;Some of the children even participate without knowing that the food helps to prepare boxes.&uot;

Whatever food isn’t handed out over the next few days, he said, will be included in the weekly distributions and Christmas handouts.

&uot;I brought in about 10 cans,&uot; Gary said. &uot;There’s a lot of greens. It’s not fair that not everyone has something to eat.&uot;

jason.norman@suffolknewsherald.com