KERNERSVILLE, N.C. – Fourth grader Leeann Kluk doesn't hesitate to admit her favorite part of the holidays.

"The Thanksgiving meal, the most," Kluk said. "I look forward to having turkey and mashed potatoes and lots of other good stuff that my mom makes."

But she and her classmates at know that not everyone gets to have such a nice Thanksgiving meal. That's why they spent the past few weeks encouraging all the students at Kernersville's Triad Baptist Christian Academy to collect canned food.

"We started with just about 20 or so donated per day and then we ran a competition using a pictograph between the kindergarten, first grade and the second, third and fourth grade. So as grades started to bring in an equal amount, it really started to see the cans increasing," fourth grade teacher Allison Duncan explained.

The kids brought in a total of 985 items, and with 53 students at the school, that's more than 18 donations per student.

"Actually, our goal was 600, so we flew past that," fourth grader Chase Walker said.

And it's food the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission really needs right now.

"This time of year is the time that we have the most need, especially with our food pantry and then to help folks in the community, but also to help provide food for our residents of the rescue mission," Mike Foster, development director for the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission, said.

And even though the students surpassed their goal this year, they have even higher expectations for next year's drive.

"Our goal is 1,000 next year," Chase said.

"We got close to 1,000, so next year I would hope to get more than 1,000," Leeann said.

The students will go to the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission Tuesday for a tour and to help sort the food.