Nexus Martial Arts, now Straight Blast Gym East Coast, members participated in a charity food drive to benefit Damien’s Food Pantry in East Wareham.

The food drive, was part of an ongoing community outreach program to benefit charitable organizations, non-profits and local schools. The food drive followed a holiday toy drive for the Toys for Tots charity and several conflict avoidance/bully prevention events.

“We have done a couple of food drives before but really wanted to take it to the next level this time,” school owner Stephen Whittier said. “I’m very proud of how our students and their families stepped up.”

As an incentive for helping with the charity, the academy also held a prize drawing for a new iPad Mini. The winner was teen student Tori Almeida of Wareham.