A group of fifth- and sixth-grade students brought in more than 700 pounds of food during a recent donation drive, but when they delivered the donation on Tuesday, the bus didnt pull into a food bank: It arrived at Eastern Oregon Pet Rescue in Hermiston.

Im overwhelmed, Pet Rescue manager Beau Putnam said. Theyve been calling and saying they were doing a drive for us, and we expected a few bags. We dont know any of them, this is strangers helping out. We are very grateful. Were always amazed how people go out of their way to help animals.

The students were from the Milton-Stateline Adventist School and 26 fifth- and sixth-graders traveled an hour and a half to reach the Hermiston animal shelter.

When I found out we were coming to Hermiston, we made a day of it, teacher Crystal Oltman said. We climbed up to the cross at the Butte, talked about the reason for the food drive and did some team bonding.

Although it evolved into a full-day field trip to Hermiston, students said the drive started as a community service project.

Our teacher asked us to do an outreach project, Kiezer McKinney, 11, said. We thought of doing a car wash or something like that, and Kiley came up with the idea to do a food drive for animals.

The students contacted multiple animal shelters in Eastern Oregon and chose Pet Rescue for a simple reason: it had the biggest need.

We called the shelters to find out who needed it the most, and Hermiston did, said Adam Birdwell, 11.

The drive ran Sept. 2-19, and the students worked to recruit classmates and promote the drive.

We went around to every class and made posters, Skyler Erb said.

By the end of the two-week period, the students had received more than three times the amount of food they expected, and when asked if they would do an animal food drive again, every student answered a definitive yes.

We hope other people will do the same thing, Makenzi Gastin, 12, said. Even a little bit will help.