The Salvation Army got a shot in the arm earlier this week when Boy Scouts from Dallas, Perry and Wilcox counties arrived with more than a ton of food from their canned food drive.

The drive, District Executive Leith Wilson said, was one of the largest they’ve had.

“It was a little bigger than last year,” he said. “We had 2,784 pounds collected at the last count and we had about 40 youth and about 30 adults participating. We had a few more youth and adults and we covered some bigger areas this year than we have in the past.”

One of the most important aspects of the drive, Wilson said, was bringing young and older people together to help the community. Wilson said all age groups worked well together to bring in the canned goods.

“It was really great to have the youth involved and willing to get out there and participate in a project like that to help people in need during the holiday season,” he said. “To see a need and to be involved and be able to give back to the community is great.”

As the day progressed, Wilson said you could feel the anticipation in the air as more and more boxes rolled in.

“There were a lot of excited people,” he said. “Our troops were instrumental in collecting what we had. They really worked hard and stepped up.”

Wilson praised Troop 46, based out of First Presbyterian Church, who collected more than 1,000 pounds on their own.

The cans, Wilson said, will help the Salvation Army stretch its resources during this busy time and put together food baskets for those in need.