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Food drive benefits Magic City Harvest

Posted on Nov 10, 2008 in News

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During the month of November, UAB is participating in the second annual Canned Food Competition with the University of Southern Mississippi. The competition began Nov. 1 and will run through Nov. 20 at 5 p.m.

UAB won the first canned food competition with Southern Miss last year and hopes to maintain the title. The big competition between the two universities is only the main contest: there is also a canned food contest within UAB.
Different groups throughout the school can compete against one another. The group or groups that collect the most nonperishable foods will be awarded prizes.

There are also two smaller canned food drives within UAB. The food collected in both of these drives will also count toward the Southern Miss competition. These are the Conference USA Canned Food Drive and Sodexo’s Cans Across America.

For certain sporting events, free admission will be awarded to anyone who brings canned food items to donate to the Southern Miss competition.

The idea for the canned food competition between UAB and Southern Miss originally started two years ago. In a 2007 Kaleidoscope article about last year’s competition, Anita Patel and Robby Geren, Social Change co-chairs for the Leadership and Service Council, said that Southern Miss approached UAB about a canned food contest in 2006, but UAB was unable to participate.

Last year, “the UAB Leadership and Service Council decided to contact Southern Miss and get the food drive competition set up,” said Patel and Geren.

This year, all of the collected nonperishable foods will be given to Magic City Harvest.

According to their Web site, “Magic City Harvest is the nonprofit prepared and perishable food distribution program of greater Birmingham, helping to alleviate hunger, malnutrition, and food waste through the free distribution of donated excess foods to programs feeding those in need.”

The canned food competitions are all part of Hunger Awareness Month. In addition to the food drives, UAB will also hold a Hunger Banquet on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the HUC Great Hall. Up to 130 students can participate in this banquet to gain a better understanding of the global problems of hunger and poverty.

UAB students are excited about the canned food competitions, not only because they are fun but also because students get the opportunity to participate in an important cause.

“The canned food drive competition is great,” said Crystal Roland, a communications studies major. “It’s a cool way to bring in plenty of food, but we also cannot forget it’s for a good cause. The deeds will truly be appreciated by many of those putting the drive together, and those who will benefit from it.”

Graduate student Miriam Baker believes that it is a good time to donate since the holiday season is approaching.
“We should all donate for the cause! This is a time for thanks and a time for giving.”

Students wishing to contribute to the Canned Food Competition with Southern Miss can drop off all canned and nonperishable foods in HUC room 440 by Nov. 20 at 5 p.m.

Email: hwebber@uab.edu