Saint Peter High School

Quinn Rassbach has always been a forward thinker. When she was 10, Rassbach created North’s Clothes Closet – a free clothing drive designed to provide warm clothes to St. Peter area families. This year’s event is set for Friday, Nov. 21, at the North Elementary gym and donation bins are set up in the school offices at SPHS, SPMS, North Elementary, and South Elementary.

For seven years, the initiative has stood strong, serving as an integral part of the district community during the most chilling months of winter. Now, with only one year until her graduation, the Saint Peter High School junior is busy planning the initiative’s future. 

“Just because I’m graduating soon doesn’t mean that people in St. Peter will stop needing warm clothes,” Rassbach said. “It’s important to me that North’s Clothes Closet continues for many years.”

To ensure this, Rassbach and her former English teacher, Brittany Walters, worked to recruit a group of determined middle schoolers to take over Rassbach’s role. 

According to Rassbach, this group of now-eighth graders are “passionate and motivated,” which lends itself well to the complicated task of organizing a district-wide clothing drive. In the past, Rassbach has been the sole contact for the event, with family, friends, teachers, and district staff providing much-appreciated support. This year, she will take on a leadership role by training her peers on how to run the events when she is gone. 

But the ever-organized Rassbach isn’t concerned. 

“I can tell these students feel the same passion for this project that I do,” she said. “They have great ideas about how to move the program forward and I can’t wait to see what they do!”

North Elementary School Principal Darin Doherty has been planning for the initiative’s future in his own way. In a recent interview with our communications team, Doherty shared that plans are in place to rename the initiative, “Quinn’s Closet at North” in honor of Rassbach’s incredible dedication. 

Needless to say, Rassbach’s efforts will be honored and appreciated for years to come, with her legacy of community engagement and altruism certain to follow her wherever she goes.