Beat Auburn Beat Hunger Food Drive Reaches Last Day with Finale Benefit

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama Community Service Center’s 2009 Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive concludes this week with Brown’s Corner Dueling Piano Bar hosting a benefit in Tuscaloosa at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, the last day of the drive.

The event will feature professional pianists taking song requests and performing in the “dueling piano” format. All proceeds from the $5 cover charge are donated to the Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive.

“It’s a fun way to get all of the people who have worked hard to help in the competition and recognize their efforts,” BABH Coordinator Caitlin Looney said. “The event at Brown’s Corner marks the end of this year’s drive, and we wanted it to be a way to show our appreciation to everyone involved.”

The competition between the Iron Bowl rivals officially kicked off Oct. 13, with a chili cook off held on the UA campus. UA students, local businesses and the Tuscaloosa community have joined together to collect nonperishable food items and cash donations for the food drive.

“Everyone has worked extremely hard this year and we could not be more pleased with the effort,” Looney said. “Hopefully this event will put us over the top and help make sure we beat Auburn for 3 years running.”

The coordinators hope to build on the success of an earlier dueling pianos benefit at the venue that raised nearly $400 for the food drive. The normal 21-years-and-older rule has been lifted for Thursday’s event so that more students can participate, said Keith Wyatt, Brown’s Corner co-owner.

CSC coordinators for the food drive are aiming to finish the competition as strong as it started with a call for last minute donations before the deadline on Thursday.

“We are extremely pleased with the enthusiasm and support that has come from the community this year,” said Regina Pena, coordinator for BABH. “It has all been building up to this Thursday, so we want to make one last big push before the deadline.”

Nonperishable food donations can be made at the Beat Auburn Beat Hunger barrels located on-campus and at sites downtown and on the Strip. Cash donations can be dropped off at the CSC office in 346 Ferguson Center or online at beatauburnbeathunger.ua.edu through the end of the day Thursday.

Collected food is used to support the West Alabama Food Bank.

The UA Community Service Center’s mission is to educate students for service advocacy and leadership, civic responsibility and lifelong volunteerism by increasing awareness of community needs, resources and opportunities for social problem solving. The CSC and UA students were responsible for more than 425,000 hours of service last year in local communities, our state, across the nation and abroad.