CHRISMAN, Ill. – When Chrisman FFA members in Illinois heard about the Can-Do Challenge, their entire chapter joined to help their community.

The challenge, organized by Bayer Agriscience and country musician Luke Bryan, tasked FFA chapters in Illinois, California, Michigan and Wisconsin with creating a farm-themed structure made out of collected canned goods and nonperishable items, which would then be donated to their local communities.

Chapters then posted a photo of their creation on their chapter’s Instagram. Judges looked for creativity and imagination in the structures and posts that tell what inspired the design or tell the chapter’s food collecting story.

The Chrisman FFA earned top honors and captured the $2,500 prize with their can drive theme: “Small community, big impact.” The chapter earned the opportunity to attend a Luke Bryan concert and meet him in person.

“We’re like a family here. We understand what our community needs and we want to help one another,” said Mikayla Wheeler, Chrisman High junior and chapter officer.

To take part in this Illinois Can-Do Challenge, members of the Chrisman FFA chapter collected nearly 3,000 canned and nonperishable food items. They used the donations to build a farm-themed display, which they shared on social media as part of the competition.

Students collaborated with the local food bank manager to identify high-need items for the community, including those needed for the after-school backpack program and the Cardinal Cupboard, the school district’s pantry that provided food for student-athletes and students in need.

To spur donations, the chapter members created a competition between its elementary, middle and high school students to see which group could collect the most items. It also made an Amazon wish list, so people could conveniently purchase and deliver the items to the school.

Chrisman agriculture teacher Jennifer Honnold said the members launched their campaign before the school year began, quickly organizing a food drive using an Amazon wish list.

“This approach made it easy for donors to contribute specific items such as cereal, peanut snacks and other kid-friendly foods young children could prepare on their own,” ag teacher Jennifer Honnold said.

Over the course of two and a half weeks, the group received dozens of packages daily, filling their classroom with donated goods. The chapter collected donations twice a week and tracked them daily.

“It means a lot to me to see our community come together,” said chapter officer Autumn Ellis. “Being part of this project showed that we’re actively involved and ready to step up when help is needed.”

To highlight their work, the chapter designed a farm-themed display featuring barns, silos and apple trees. They also painted a backdrop to enhance the presentation and added a rainbow, which they said represented hope after encountering tough times. The design was developed over weeks of planning and painting.

And the work of the Chrisman FFA chapter didn’t end with this challenge. The chapter regularly volunteers at the local food bank. Students serve monthly, helping sort donations and assist with distribution.

“I don’t know if my students fully understand the impact they have made,” Honnold said. “They came together, put in the hours, and did something truly remarkable for our community.”

Between the four states, roughly 23,000 pounds of food was collected for local food banks. Bayer Agriscience intends to do more Can-Do Challenges in the future.

“We are deeply committed to rural America and community well-being and seeing the passion and creativity of these FFA chapters was truly inspiring,” said Richard Meiers, communications manager at Bayer. “You can see the love they have for their communities. A food drive can be quite simple, but these students went above and beyond for their communities.”

The challenge fits right into Bayer’s mission: “Health for All, Hunger for None.”

“And strengthening our relationships with future farmers speaks to who we work with,” Meiers said.