Food Drive Under Way at UA to Beat Auburn Beat Hunger

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The competition has begun in the 14th annual Beat Auburn Beat Hunger Food Fight being held at The University of Alabama until Nov. 15.

The annual event, created by the UA Community Service Center and the West Alabama Food Bank some 13 years ago, takes place during the four weeks leading up to the “Iron Bowl” football game between the two schools.

Students, faculty, staff, alumni and the Tuscaloosa community “fight” Auburn University and the Food Bank of East Alabama to see who can collect the most nonperishable food items for families in need in the area and in surrounding counties.

The annual food drive is sponsored by the Community Service Center, Bama Dining, the Student Government Association and the West Alabama Food Bank.

While UA has not claimed the Food Fight title since 1999, the two universities combined have raised more than 1.2 million pounds of food since the event’s inception in 1994.

This year, UA and Tuscaloosa hope to beat the losing streak and meet their goal of 200,000 pounds of food, which is roughly 50,000 pounds more than UA raised last year.

An actual “food fight” featuring teams of UA students will be held on the Quad Nov. 8 at 6 p.m.

BABH is organized into several categories within the main competition. Each category holds competitions within itself to encourage greater community participation. The categories are student organizations, sororities and fraternities, residence halls, local businesses, faculty and staff, the Professional Staff Assembly and Faculty Senate.

Tuscaloosa County and City Schools will also be competing with one another to collect the most pounds of canned food. The winning school will receive a pep rally with Big Al and several UA athletes.

Canned food, rice, beans, and other nonperishable food items can be dropped off at the collection truck located in the Ferguson Center Plaza and at other designated drop-off locations such as the Community Service Center, Ferguson Information Desk and residential halls. There are also drop-off locations around the Tuscaloosa area including Wal-Mart on Skyland Blvd and Bruno’s on McFarland Blvd.

In addition to donating canned food, students, faculty and staff can donate dining dollars and Bama cash at any Bama Dining location.

For every $1 that is donated, the food bank will be able to purchase approximately two pounds of food.

Bama Dining will match contributions up to $2,000. Community members may also make credit card donations at the official Beat Auburn Beat Hunger Web site www.volunteer.ua.edu/babh.

For more information about the event, contact Lindsay Griffith and Paige Poole at beatauburnbeathunger@gmail.com.