Hundreds of students across New Jersey collected more than 250,000 pounds of food during the second annual 100-Yard Food Drive Challenge. At Howell High School, thousands of bright yellow donation bags covered the football field from end zone to end zone, marking the largest food drive in the history of the nonprofit Dermer Dreams.
What started as neighborhood collections expanded into a statewide effort involving schools, businesses, families, and volunteers. Dermer Dreams co-founder Dan Dermer credited the students with strengthening community ties and demonstrating what people could accomplish by working together.
Howell High School football players helped volunteers transfer the bags to rented trucks for delivery. All the food collected reached 30 food banks serving families across New Jersey. Recipients included Lunch Break, Fulfill, Howell Food Bank, and Open Door in Freehold.
Dan Dermer launched Dermer Dreams in 2019 after he moved from New York City to New Jersey. His wife, Alyse, also works with the nonprofit. Recognizing that high school students were seeking opportunities to fulfill community service requirements, they established the organization’s Neighborhood Captain Program. Dan has spent more than a decade working with students to address hunger while also leading Dermer Management, a company that manages Manhattan properties.
The event followed the inaugural challenge at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School in 2025. There, teenagers organized the collection and recruited volunteers, developing leadership skills through their participation.
