Park City High School volunteers assemble, deliver 1,000 holiday meals

Park City High School cheerleaders help pack meal boxes as volunteers assemble about 1,000 holiday meals for families in Summit and Wasatch counties on Dec. 20. Photo: Park City Cheerleaders

PARK CITY, Utah — Hundreds of volunteers packed the commons at Park City High School on Saturday, Dec. 20 — the first day of winter break — to assemble and deliver about 1,000 holiday meals to families across Summit and Wasatch counties, Colton Elliott, the Public Information Officer of the Park City School District, shared.

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Elliott shared that in less than an hour, students, families, alumni, and community members formed assembly lines to fill, seal, and stack boxes for households that opted in to receive a meal through the Operation Hope program. Their teamwork set the tone for the event’s continued success.

Now in its ninth year, the event demonstrated how community support has turned a modest effort into a program providing 1,000 meals, organizers said, even as demand and food costs increased.

James Agnew, whose family helped launch the program, said the deliveries go beyond nutrition. “When you talk to the people receiving the meals, the gratitude is overwhelming,” Agnew said. “It’s not just the food. It’s knowing that someone cared enough to show up at their door. That human connection matters.”

Student leadership has become central to the operation. Transitioning from small beginnings, the Especially for Athletes club—a Park City High School student group focused on service—coordinated volunteers and logistics alongside staff and community partners, organizers said. Many alumni returned to help, continuing a tradition that began with small groups of teammates and friends.

Park City High School Principal Caleb Fine said the scene inside the gym reflected the community at its best. “This is where Park City shines,” Fine said. “For a little while, none of the outside noise mattered. People weren’t thinking about differences or divisions. They were focused on helping their neighbors, and that says a lot about who we are.”

Elliott shared that meals were distributed through Operation Hope, senior centers, food banks, and partner organizations serving Summit and Wasatch counties, organizers said. About 50 meals were delivered to members of the Goshute Indian Tribe, with volunteers traveling several hours to make deliveries, organizers said.

As delivery routes began and the commons emptied, Agnew emphasized that the effort’s scale depended on widespread participation.

“It really does take a village,” he said. “The students, the families, the donors, the volunteers, the community partners. When all of that comes together, it reminds you what kind of community this is, one that shows up for each other when it matters most.”