One of Jesuit's great annual traditions, the Thanksgiving Basket Drive, was launched last week at Convocation by director of community service Noah Menendez '14! For TBD 2026, Jesuit has guaranteed 325 food insecure families – some are families connected to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay, others the Migrant Education Program – a complete, robust Thanksgiving family meal. And everyone in the Jesuit community can help make this happen. The students raise the money to buy all the food and gift cards – but not the turkeys. The Dads' Club collects the frozen turkeys. This year that will happen during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up the week of Nov. 16-20. The Mothers’ Club collects over mitts, kitchen towels, and all the essentials needed to prepare a Thanksgiving family meal. In the most chaotic-yet-orderly-and-loving way imaginable, it all comes together here at Jesuit on Nov. 21, when hundreds descend on campus for Mass, breakfast, and to pack and then deliver each of the 325 “baskets” – large cardboard boxes filled with everything needed for a phenomenal Thanksgiving family meal. TBD 2026 already is off to a great start! On Homecoming Fun Day, the students raised more than $10,000 toward the $25,000 goal, with both the Environmental Club (concession sales) and Asian American Club (“Pancake Paradise”) raising more than $1,000! Today's first homeroom collection yielded another $1,700+, led by the homeroom of Paula Collazo & Marla Jennings. Thank you to all who during the next month contribute to this treasured Thanksgiving tradition at Jesuit! @jesuitschools @JesuitsUCS @BN9 @10tampabay @tampabay_28 @MediaWusf @wfla @FOX13News @DioStPete #AMDG #MenforOthers #TBD2026