Morley School Students Deliver Wagonloads to Stock West Hartford Food Pantry
Audio By Carbonatix
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley K-2 students delivered 66 wagons full of non-perishables to the West Hartford Food Pantry on Thursday morning.
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
By Ronni Newton
Pulling and pushing wagons loaded with non-perishables, Morley Elementary School’s youngest students made the 1.22-mile trek from their school to Town Hall on Thursday morning, delivering their important cargo to the West Hartford Food Pantry as part of the 32nd annual Morley Red Wagon Food Drive.
Helped by unseasonably mild temperatures as well as the spirit of giving back, the roughly 150 Kindergarten through grade 2 students were all smiles as they arrived with their 66 wagons – which indeed were mostly red – and received some help from school and town officials and staff who unloaded the wagons and wheeled carts full of the donated items into the building where they will then stock the shelves.
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
“I’m so proud and honored to be part of the Morley Elementary School 32nd annual Red Wagon Food Drive,” said Principal Laura Meka, who was appointed to lead the school this summer. “It’s my first one, but it’s your 32nd. Together we have collected over 3,200 food items,” she said of this year’s effort, which appears to be the largest donation ever by the school.
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Meka thanked students, families, and staff for their “kindness, generosity, and caring for others,” noting that the items collected go right back to the West Hartford community. “You’ve shown that even the smallest hands can make a huge difference.”
Principal Laura Meka. Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Alex Bueno from the West Hartford Food Pantry congratulated and thanked the Morley community for the successful event.
“We’re going through times where it’s very difficult to put food on the table,” he said. Morley has provided a significant boost. “The tradition that you’ve been doing for decades has shown our community how unified we are.”
Alex Bueno. Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Superintendent of Schools Paul Vicinus also spoke to the Morley students, families, and staff. “Today is one of my favorite days, when the red wagon brigade comes to Town Hall in such a spirit of community giving.”
The Morley students modeled the promise of lifelong learning from a moral perspective. “You set an example for so many in giving back to the community all the food items that you donated,” Vicinus said.
Superintendent Paul Vicinus. Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Mayor Shari Cantor told the students that the day of the Morley red wagon brigade is one of her favorite days of the year – and she has been part of it every year. All four of her sons went to Morley, and her oldest was in the first group of kids to deliver food when the initiative started, on a smaller scale, 32 years ago.
“You guys have just continued to contribute, make it bigger and make it so strong, and I’m just so grateful,” Cantor said, noting that her own granddaughter will be walking next year when she begins kindergarten at Morley.
Mayor Shari Cantor. Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
“I’m so inspired by the commitment of loving thy neighbor and making sure that we are embracing everyone in our community, and supporting them, and making sure they are fed and feeling secure … and loved,” Cantor said. It’s a feeling that the students will carry through their entire lives, she said.
Members of the West Hartford Police Department and West Hartford Fire Department, along with many parents, served as escorts for the walk to Town Hall, and back to Morley with their empty wagons.
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
The Morley Red Wagon Food Drive began on a much smaller scale in 1995, and was led by Dawn O’Connor, who retired in 2016. Teachers Mary Beth Hixson and Jennifer LaForte took over as the coordinators in 2019, when the 25th anniversary of the initiative was celebrated and have continued in that role.
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Morley Red Wagon Food Drive. Nov. 5, 2026. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.
