Pack the Pantry will take place at Ping Recreation Center during Homecoming.
In the spirit of Homecoming Week, Ohio University will be helping the Athens County Food Pantry.
“Pack the Pantry” will take place Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the front lawn of Ping Center.
“For a number of years, the Student Alumni Board has been doing a canned food drive in collaboration with the office and business decorating competition,” said Katrina Heilmeier, the Alumni Association’s associate director of campus relations. “The idea was to take it to the next level and really help students be able to understand the need that we have in this community and also be able to give back in a tangible way.”
Student organizations can participate in the event by donating canned food or funds, she said.
“So many times the food pantry can buy so much more food with your money versus what you can buy at the grocery store,” Heilmeier said.
There will also be competitions for “can construction” with prizes for the best representation of the Homecoming theme, the most creative and the judges’ favorite. The most spirited student organization will also win a prize.
The teams that donate the most will receive prize money to help their organization. The winning large organization will receive $300 and the winning small organization will get $200. The prize money comes from the Alumni Association’s Homecoming budget, Heilmeier said.
“We really want to connect what our students are doing on-campus with what OU alumni are doing around the nation,” Heilmeier said.
Alumni can participate as well in their hometowns by donating to their local food pantries and soup kitchens. Denver is doing a Bobcats Give Back event this week as well, Heilmeier said.
“People always think about Ohio University in the sense of what is happening in the bricks and in our little bubble,” she said. “This county has a lot of need and people that are food insecure and not sure where they are going to get there next meal from, so we wanted to make sure we made it a priority.”
The majority of Athens residents are living below the poverty line, Heilmeier added.
Currently 10 organizations and Greek Life groups are registered to participate.
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