Beat Auburn Beat Hunger Launches 2019 Food Drive

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The annual Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive kicks off Tuesday, Oct. 1, at The University of Alabama.

The  drive runs through Nov. 20; results will be announced Nov. 21.

Kickoff events will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Ferguson Center. Big Al will arrive at noon, and activities include an inflatable basketball toss.

In addition, student volunteers will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday at City Hall with Tuscaloosa officials to kick off the campaign. For more information, contact Stacy Cooper, City of Tuscaloosa, at scooper@tuscaloosa.com.

The drive collects food donations for the West Alabama Food Bank.  During the food drive, students with UA’s Center for Service and Leadership compete with the Beat Bama food drive at Auburn University; collectively, they’ve raised about 6 million pounds of food over the past 25 years.

Student leaders place canisters around campus and throughout Tuscaloosa. UA won in 2018 by collecting 309,194 pounds of food.

In addition, people may donate money at the food drive web site (https://beatauburnbeathunger.causevox.com/) or the West Alabama Food Bank
(https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/wafb). Donations can also be sent through Venmo (@ua_babh).

All food and monetary donations go to the West Alabama Food Bank. The West Alabama Food Bank services nine counties: Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Sumter and Tuscaloosa. The food is distributed by nonprofit agencies. All of Auburn’s donations go to the East Alabama Food Bank.

Other events include:

— Hunger Banquet: 6 p.m. Oct. 16, Ferguson Center Ballroom

— Fall Festival: Oct. 18

— Homecoming Parade: Oct. 26

— Volleyball Donation Night: 5 p.m. Oct. 28 versus Ole Miss, Foster Auditorium

More events will follow.

For more information, contact Jillian Marks, vice president of marketing for Beat Auburn Beat Hunger, at jcmarks@crimson.ua.edu.