Don’t be surprised if you see children pulling wagons around campus on Friday. And don’t be hesitant to drop a can of peas into one of the wagons.

About 65 campus school children between the ages of 2 and 5 will be collecting food in the wagons to donate to St. Francis Food Pantry, 1221 Truax Blvd.

Chris Redetzke, assistant director for the Children’s Center, said the children went to offices in Davies, Schofield and Schneider on Wednesday to hand out flyers informing people about the food drive.

“Our goal is to fill the back of a pick-up truck with food,” Redetzke said.

Becky Wurzer, director of the Children’s Center, came up with the idea for the food drive after she did a similar drive with a class she was teaching.

“This time everyone is getting involved,” she said, adding that it is the first time the Children’s Center has collaborated on a food drive.

Wurzer said the children will go along to the pantry to watch the food be taken off the truck and to see some of the people who will benefit.

“I think the kids do understand … they say the food is going to people who need it,” Wurzer said.

The truck is going to the food pantry on Thursday, Dec. 13. Students, faculty and staff who are not visited by the wagons are encouraged to drop food off in the Children’s Center, CS 100A, until that time.

“If they want to drop (food) off here in the Children’s Center, that is more than wonderful,” Redetzke said.

After the food drive, the kids will take the experience into the classroom.

“There is going to be a lot of learning taking place,” Wurzer said.

For instance, they will use the number of cans of fruit and vegetables they gather to learn about making graphs and charts, Wurzer said.

They will also be talking about where the food goes and why it is important to help the needy.