Students from John Paul II High School join Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere and council members Tom Harrison and Rick Grady to help the school celebrate the annual peanut butter drive for the Food for Kids program.[/caption]

The numbers are in and they add up to record-breaking levels for the third annual Food For Kids Plano Peanut Butter Drive. This year’s drive collected 27,618 pounds of the protein-packed food for food insecure children in North Texas Food Bank.

The citywide collection marked a 170 percent increase from what was raised last year.

Initiated by Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere, the Plano City Council partnered with the food bank to support the drive, which was held in September in honor of National Hunger Action Month. John Paul II High School collected the most peanut butter with a record-breaking 5,133 pounds.

“Mayor LaRosiliere with City Council and NTFB challenged the community to collect more than last year’s total of 10,220 pounds of peanut butter,” Jessica Quiñonez, senior manager of corporate engagement for NTFB, said in an email. “[It was] an admittedly aggressive goal but we knew Plano could do it.”

LaRosiliere challenged John Paul II High School to collect more than 1,500 jars of peanut butter this year. Students and faculty from John Paul II High School, Saint Mark Catholic School, Prince of Peace Catholic School and All Saints Catholic School, including Bethany Elementary, Boggess Elementary, Mitchell Elementary, Schimelpfenig Middle School and McMillen High School, collected more than 3,908 jars.

"Time and time again I am humbled—but no longer surprised—to witness the heart of our community. They make me Plano proud, and because of them our children will be fed," LaRosiliere said. "Thank you, Plano."