Students at the North Carolina School of Science and Math (NCSSM) in Durham may have fallen just short of a quirky world record, but they ended up achieving something far more meaningful: setting a food-drive record that will put meals on tables across the community.

The school’s students set out with an ambitious goal tied to the ABC11 Together Food Drive, and while the ‘nerd’ world record they were chasing didn’t come through, their efforts produced a record-breaking food-drive result instead, according to ABC11 News.

NCSSM, a residential public high school for academically talented students located on the edge of downtown Durham, has long been known for blending academic rigor with a strong sense of community service. This latest achievement adds a feel-good chapter to that tradition, demonstrating that the school’s students are just as driven to help their neighbors as they are to excel in the classroom.

The food drive is part of the broader ABC11 Together Food Drive initiative, which works to address food insecurity across the Triangle region. Every item collected goes toward stocking local food banks and pantries that serve families in need throughout the Durham area and beyond.

For the students involved, the experience offered a lesson that no classroom can fully replicate: that showing up for your community — even when a headline-grabbing record slips away — is its own kind of victory. The record they did set stands as a testament to what young people can accomplish when they channel their energy and enthusiasm toward a cause bigger than themselves.

Durham residents can take pride in knowing that the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, and community leaders is already hard at work making a difference — one donated can at a time.

Sources: ABC11 News