Transcript Staff
Two youth groups have taken the theme of rivalry that fills the week of the Bedlam football game and used it for good.
The youth of Norman's First Presbyterian Church joined their Stillwater counterparts in the first Bedlam Food Drive competition. The groups' goal was to provide unity in concern for Oklahomans in need. They collected more than 3,000 non-perishable food items in their competition.
FPC's Associate Pastor for Youth Everett Miller was the former pastor at the Newkirk First Presbyterian Church north of Stillwater and was familiar with the staff at that church. He had the idea for the competition.
"When I moved to Norman, one of my first thoughts was we've got to do something with the two youth groups, Bedlamwise, in order to get the kids together and do something for good," he said.
Food items were assigned point values of 1, 2, 3 or 6 points to add up the final tally to determine which church won the competition.
For the record, the Stillwater church came out on top, winning the "Golden Can" award, while the Norman FPC group took home the "Wait 'Til Next Year Award."
The food has been donated to the Community Action Pantry in Norman, Urban Mission in Oklahoma City and the Storehouse Pantry in Stillwater.
"I just took half of what we collected to the Community Action Pantry, and my little Toyota Matrix was having trouble speeding up after stoplights it was so weighted down," Miller said.
The groups spent Saturday together in Stillwater, with the Norman youth getting a tour of the Oklahoma State University campus, games and a program on poverty and hunger. Next November, the churches will compete again, with the Norman church hosting the joint event.
