Students at The University of Alabama (UA) are celebrating after raising 431,120 pounds of food during the annual Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive. The items will go toward providing meals to West Alabamians struggling with food insecurity.
The results were announced at a celebration at the West Alabama Food Bank on Friday. Together the two schools raised more than 1.4 million pounds of food, according to the UA News Center. One in six people, including one in four children, struggle with food insecurity in Alabama, reports the national non-profit Feeding America.
“I’m really proud of how hard our executive team, directors and staff have worked this year to host campus events,” said Kennedi Preston, president of Beat Auburn Beat Hunger. “It has been a joy to see members of the Tuscaloosa community come together to support such a worthwhile cause.”
Auburn’s Beat Bama food drive raised 980,928 pounds of food during the friendly competition that ran from Oct. 4 to Nov. 21., reports the UA News Center.
“We are all so grateful for the opportunity to work with the West Alabama Food Bank and to help support them over the next few months,” said Preston. “Donations will go to the purchasing of children’s secret meals, supplemental senior boxes and the 93 agencies that the food bank supports in West Alabama.”
All food and monetary donations collected during the Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive benefit the West Alabama Food Bank, which serves nine counties in West Alabama.
