From Grand Island Public Schools:

G.I. Senior High School students raise money to send deer jerky to troops

Grand Island Senior High School students will presented a check for $923 to a Nebraska Bowhunters Association representative on Friday.

The money will help pay for shipping approximately 225 pounds of deer jerky made from 450 pounds of venison to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and for processing the meat.

High school students raised the funds in January when they voted with money to select which staff members would have pies thrown in their face sat a Jan. 13 pep rally. Other money was raised by having staff members donate $5 each to wear blue jeans on a Friday.

Donations from the public were accepted at Jan. 16 basketball games. Students will presented the money to Craig Schoneberg of Grand Island. Schoneberg is membership chairman for the Nebraska Bowhunters Association. Schoneberg learned in December 2008 about a U.S. Army solder who killed a deer with a bow while he was on leave in Nebraska and had the jerky made from the deer sent to troops overseas. Members of the Nebraska Bowhunters Association and rifle hunters have contributed meat that was made into jerky. Several high school teachers, Principal Kent Mann, and a student were among those who contributed venison. In October 2009, Schoneberg shipped 175 pounds of deer jerky made from 300 pounds of venison to U.S. troops in Baghdad.