Community Service Center Kicks Off Beat Auburn Beat Hunger Food Drive at UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama Community Service Center is kicking off the 19th annual Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive Monday, Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Ferguson Plaza, Reese Phifer and Lloyd Halls.

The event will include music and free food as well as the opportunity to vote in a pie throwing contest. Students, faculty and staff will be able to choose a contestant and make a donation in a jar in their honor. An additional fundraiser will take place at TCBY from 6 – 9 p.m. as part of the event.

Contestants include Dr. Shane Sharpe, Honors College dean, UA football player Cody Mandell, Alabama celebrity Jack “The Face” Blankenship and other campus leaders. The contestant with the most donations in his or her jar will return to the Ferguson Plaza at noon on Wednesday to be the recipient of a pie gently tossed to the face by the highest donor at Monday’s event.

“Beat Auburn Beat Hunger is a great way for the University of Alabama and the Tuscaloosa community to unite under a good cause,” said Andres Mendieta, student director for the food drive.

“Last year, we raised close to 237,000 pounds of food for the West Alabama Food Bank,and this year we are expecting to raise even more. No matter what the end results are, both sides will work hard to help the needy in our communities,” he said.

The CSC is also hosting the 2012 “Stamp Out Hunger” letter-sending event on Wednesday, Oct. 10, from 4-9 p.m. in 309 Ferguson Center. To raise money, students will send out letters to friends and family members requesting donations in their honor for BABH. The CSC will provide all letters and postage supplies. The letters will describe the cause and explain how each recipient can donate. Students have the option of sending out letters using traditional mail, or electronically using email.

To participate in the event, students are asked to bring a list of names and addresses of friends and family members that they wish to request donations from. During the event, food and drinks will be served. The students who send the most letters will be entered to win raffle prizes. Additionally, sorority and fraternity members can earn one panhellenic point for every five letters they send out.

“This is also a great and easy way to get involved with the food drive,” Mendieta said. “We’d encourage any student or organization to come out for even a few minutes to send a few letters out and help out fight hunger in West Alabama. Every little bit counts.”

Beat Auburn Beat Hunger is an annual food drive that began in 1994 and has since helped collect almost 3 million pounds of food. During the weeks leading up to the Iron Bowl, students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members “fight” hunger and poverty in West Alabama by challenging Auburn University and the Food Bank of East Alabama to see who can collect more nonperishable food to help needy Alabama families have a happier and healthier holiday season.

The food bank is accepting all nonperishable food items, and collection barrels are placed at locations on campus and around Tuscaloosa. Monetary donations will be accepted at various Bama Dining locations, by texting BAMA to 27722, and online at beatauburnbeathunger.ua.edu.

The Beat Auburn Beat Hunger campaign will continue through Nov. 16.

For more information, contact the Community Service Center in 346 Ferguson Center, 205/348-2865, or go to beatauburnbeathunger.ua.edu.