FARMINGDALE, New Jersey (PNN) - November 1, 2026 - Hundreds of New Jersey students collected over a quarter million pounds of food during the second annual 100-Yard Food Drive Challenge last week.
Thousands of bright yellow donation bags covered Howell High School’s football field from end zone to end zone, with the extraordinary effort marking the largest food drive in the nonprofit Dermer Dreams’ history.
“These students did more than collect food: They united communities and demonstrated the power of working together,” said Dan Dermer, Co-Founder of Dermer Dreams.
What began with students collecting food in their neighborhoods grew into a powerful demonstration of community generosity, uniting schools, businesses, families and volunteers across New Jersey.
“All the food collected is now at 30 food banks and will help families across the state,” said Dermer.
The Howell High School football team joined volunteers to carry all the bags to rented trucks for transporting to food bank partners, including Lunch Break, Fulfill, Howell Food Bank and Open Door in Freehold.
“Every bag represents a young person who chose to make a difference in someone’s life,” said Dan’s wife Alyse, who also works with the nonprofit started in 2019 when the New York City-raised property manager moved to New Jersey.
There, they launched the Dermer Dreams’ Neighborhood Captain Program, after realizing that high school students were searching everywhere to find needed community service hours.
This year’s event builds on the inaugural 2025 challenge at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, where teens organized and recruited volunteers while developing leadership skills at the same time.
“Not only will we feed people who are (hungry), but we will inspire young students to take action and make a difference in this world,” said Dan, who has dedicated over a decade to working with students to eradicate the hunger problem.
Dermer is doing this while he is serving as the CEO of Dermer Management, Inc. which manages Manhattan-based properties, including co-ops, condos and rental properties.
