After the Homecoming parade, volunteers help load donation items for local charities. CMS student Janie Savoie (left) and Robin Renna (right) with the Carroll County Humane Society load a truck of cat and dog food.
Carrollton City Schools supported local nonprofit organizations for the 16th consecutive year, through its annual Gold and Black Give Back donation drive during Homecoming week.
Staying true to the motto “Gold and Black Give Back,” the donation drive tradition fuels community nonprofit organizations with supplies and instills the habit of generosity among CCS students. The initiative is designed to rally the Trojan Nation together to benefit the less fortunate in the Carrollton community. The Community Foundation of West Georgia connected CCS with local charities that could benefit from the donations.
As an annual Homecoming tradition, this event ties students across campus together, pairing up grades in a friendly donation competition. The winning team earns bragging rights for the year. Throughout the week, high schoolers visited their assigned younger Trojans to encourage participation and foster a positive impact, offering high-fives as the students arrived each morning.
For this year’s campaign, seniors partnered with the second and third grades to collect toothpaste and wet cat food. Juniors, pre-K, kindergarten and first grade worked together to collect toilet paper and dry dog food. Sophomores teamed up with fourth and fifth graders to collect paper towels and pet treats. Joining forces with the freshmen are sixth, seventh and eighth graders who supplied bar soap and dry cat food. Through the new online donation option, more than $1400 was raised and used to purchase donation items.
Ultimately, the freshmen brought home the win with the highest combined total of items and donation value, demonstrating their passion for supporting the community.
Dr. Marsha French serves as the Homecoming coordinator, along with Ms. Alison Hibbard, and teaches English at CHS. Over the past 14 years, she has seen the Gold and Black Give Back donation drive become embedded into the culture of CCS and continue to impact the greater Carrollton community. This year is no different.
“Collecting donation items for our local charities is synonymous with what Homecoming means to this generation of Trojans,” said Dr. French. “Stores throughout the county know to prepare for the influx of purchases each year, because of the generosity of our families wanting to contribute to such a worthy cause. Shopping for these charities is a highlight for the students, and displaying the items on their floats is always exciting for them!”
This tradition not only unites the district in Trojan pride but also fosters a spirit of servant leadership. It serves as a reminder that homecoming is about more than floats and football—it’s about giving back. Today, local nonprofits count on these donations as a vital part of their outreach, making Gold and Black Give Back a powerful bridge between school spirit and community impact.
