University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Food Drives Set for Six Athletic Events
11/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
The University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics department and KARE 11 TV, are joining together to hold a combination of six food and toy drives at various U of M athletic events, starting this Friday at the men’s basketball season opener at Williams Arena.
The food drives begin on Friday, Nov. 14 at the men’s basketball game as Minnesota opens the season against Concordia-St. Paul at 8 p.m. Following Friday’s event at Williams Arena, the second drive will be Saturday at men’s hockey as the Gophers take on Michigan Tech at 1 p.m. at Mariucci Arena. The next two food drives will be on Wednesday, Nov. 19 during the 7 p.m. women’s basketball game and at the football game on Nov. 22 on the Metrodome Plaza. Once the food drives conclude, Minnesota will hold toy drives at the Dec. 9 women’s basketball game and the Dec. 10 men’s basketball games against South Dakota State.
Along with the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and a student-athlete event, Maroon-Madness, Gopher athletes will volunteer and stand at multiple arena entrances before and during the games asking for charitable contributions for food, toys or monetary donations.
The food collected during all the drives will go to Second Harvest Heartland, the upper Midwest's largest hunger-relief organization. Also, when money is contributed, the organization has the ability to distribute $9 of groceries for every dollar donated, according to Second Harvest Heartland’s website. All toys received during the drives will be donated to St. Joseph’s Home for Children, a charity that cares for children in immediate need by giving them shelter, stability and long-term solutions to emotional and behavioral issues, according to information provided by Catholic Charities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
“We’re looking to collect non-perishable food items as well as monetary donations,” said Deborah Diamond, Assistant Director of Marketing for the University of Minnesota athletics department. “Our goal is to raise over 7,500 pounds of food and over $1,000.”
Although any donation is accepted, St. Joseph’s is in need for donations for teenagers. All money donated during the toy drives will go towards buying Target gift cards for St Joseph’s Home for Children to disperse, Diamond said.
University of Minnesota and KARE 11 Donation Drives
FOOD DRIVES
November 14 Men’s Basketball vs. Concordia-St. Paul, 8 p.m.
November 16 - Men's Hockey vs. Michigan Tech, 1 p.m.
November 19 Women’s Basketball vs. North Dakota State, 7 p.m.
November 22 Football vs. Iowa, 6 p.m.
TOY DRIVES
December 9 Women’s basketball vs. South Dakota State, 7 p.m.
December 10 Men’s basketball vs. South Dakota State, 8 p.m.
Release written by CHAMPS/Life Skills Intern and Gopher men's swimmer Jake Kittilstad
