University of Arkansas Hosting Food Drive

Photo Submitted

Volunteers from the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank collect part of the 75,000 pounds of items collected during the 2009 drive.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas is sponsoring its third annual food drive in acknowledgement of World Food Day. The drive kicked off on Sept. 1 and will continue through Oct. 16, World Food Day.

World Food Day is a worldwide event designed to increase awareness and understanding and to inform a year-around action to alleviate hunger. The University of Arkansas has been named as an official collection site for this year’s event. All the collections will be matched on a 10-to-1 basis up to 60,000 pounds by Tyson Foods Inc., the event’s chief sponsor, and donated to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, which serves food pantries across the four-county area.

The collection of items at the Alabama game is being held in conjunction with the fourth annual Southeastern Conference “Together We Can Food Drive.”

Collection boxes can be found at the Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on game day, Sept. 25, at the Arkansas vs. Alabama football game, and at numerous locations around northwest Arkansas through Oct. 16. On Sept. 18, Harp’s grocery store will be partnering with Razorback athletics to collect food for one day at all the Fayetteville locations.

Honorary spokesperson for this year’s food drive is Jeff Long, director of intercollegiate athletics at the University of Arkansas. Long will be featured on public service announcements being aired on campus and on local television stations.

Those wishing to contribute canned food items may leave them in boxes found at various locations throughout northwest Arkansas. A list of locations, as of today, may be found below or visit the university Sustainability website for the most current list of drop-off locations. Monetary donations or purchases of virtual canned goods may be made at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank’s website.

Last year, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed 3.5 million pounds of food, which fed more than 100,000 people and the numbers this year are expected to be greater. In 2009, the food bank served approximately 97,000 people, 38 percent of whom were aged 17 and younger. In Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties, 57 percent of all public school children are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program.

Tyson Foods Inc., a chief sponsor for the food drive, will match the food-drive donations on a 10-to-1 basis up to 60,000 pounds of food. The total amount of food collected will be announced Oct. 16 at the University of Arkansas Global Campus on the Fayetteville Square.

“We embrace sustainability concepts on campus, and social sustainability efforts are one way that the campus and the community can join forces to help meet a growing public need,” said Nick Brown, director of sustainability for the University of Arkansas. “People are looking to give back and this is a great opportunity to do so.”

Date-specific drop-off locations:

• Sept. 17 – Razorback Field at 7 p.m. before the soccer game against St. Mary’s

• Sept. 18 – Harp’s Stores, all Fayetteville locations

• Sept. 19 – Barnhill Arena during volleyball match against Auburn

• Sept. 25 – Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Gates 1, 8, 12 and 16

Sept. 1 through Oct. 16 drop-off locations:

• Arkansas World Trade Center
  3300 Market St., Suite 400, Rogers;

• University of Arkansas Global Campus at Rogers
  3300 Market St., Suite 420, Rogers

• University of Arkansas Global Campus at Fayetteville
  2 E. Center St., Fayetteville

• University of Arkansas Office of Study Abroad
  722 W. Maple St., Fayetteville

• Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce
  123 W. Mountain, Fayetteville

• All City of Fayetteville Fire Stations

• Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce
  317 W. Walnut, Rogers AR 72756

• Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce
  200 E. Central Ave., Bentonville

• University of Arkansas Facilities Management
  521 S. Razorback Road, C-105, Fayetteville

• Northwest Arkansas Food Bank
  1378 June Self Drive, Bethel Heights

• Springdale Chamber of Commerce
  202 W. Emma, Springdale
  

The sponsors for this year’s food drive are: University of Arkansas, Tyson Foods, University of Arkansas Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce, University of Arkansas Global Campus, Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, Arkansas World Trade Center, Applied Sustainability Center, the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, city of Fayetteville, Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, University of Arkansas Bookstores, the Springdale Chamber of Commerce, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

About the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank:

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, formerly the Ozark Food Bank, works to feed hungry people in the communities of northwest Arkansas through partnerships with other nonprofit hunger relief organizations. The food bank distributes millions of pounds of food per year and, in recent years, has expanded to include all of Benton, Carroll, Madison, and Washington counties. The 2000 Census indicated that Benton and Washington counties are two of the top three counties in Arkansas with the highest percentage of people living below poverty levels. The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America and serves more than 125 agencies throughout northwest Arkansas.

About World Food Day:

World Food Day is a worldwide event designed to increase awareness, understanding and informed, year-around action to alleviate hunger. It is observed each Oct. 16 in recognition of the founding of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945. The first World Food Day was in 1981. In the United States the endeavor is sponsored by 450 national, private voluntary organizations. This year, entities are encouraged to hold their own observances of World Food Day featuring local experts and issues rather than participate in a televised panel discussion.

About the SEC “Together We CAN Food Drive”:

The SEC “Together We CAN Food Drive” is a league-wide canned food and financial donation drive organized by Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) members from each SEC institution. All items collected are given to local food banks. The annual 10-day collection event is publicized on the SEC website and during broadcasts (television and radio) where appropriate. At the conclusion of the drive, the SEC will announce the 12-school total of donations collected and highlight the work done by the student-athletes of the Southeastern Conference. The annual event is not a competition and is about collecting items for area citizens in need.