Fresno State Athletics
Food Drive Set For November 3
10/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 5, 2007
FRESNO, Calif. - The idea of holding a canned food drive that involved the entire Fresno State campus started with team physician Dr. Eric Hansen. With the help of the Fresno State football team, Fresno State Management students, Sierra Pacific Orthopedic Center and the Community Food Bank that idea is about to come to fruition.
On November 3, when the Bulldog football team plays host to Utah State, fans will have an opportunity to help fight hunger in the Central Valley by donating canned food items or by making a monetary donation.
"This will be by far the largest food drive we've done," Community Food Bank Director of Warehouse Operations Richard Cervantes said. "We hope this will be successful so that we can continue to do this with Fresno State athletics every year."
The Fresno State campus is going all out to make sure this is a successful event. On game day students and faculty from the department of Management and football team will be set up at stations around Bulldog Stadium and in various parking lots several hours before the 2 p.m. kick off.
"We are excited as a department to work with athletics, specifically the football team and the Sierra Pacific Orthopedic Center," Department of Management Chair Julie Olson-Buchanan said. "This is a great opportunity for the University to help serve the Fresno area."
On game day, there will be two tables set up at each entrance to Bulldog Stadium where fans can drop off their canned food items. There will also be a table at each entrance where fans can make a monetary donation. So fans don't have to carry the canned food items very far, people will also be out in parking lots collecting donations.
"We want the fans to be able to hand over the canned food items with little effort as possible," Olson-Buchanan said.
There is a great need for donations from Fresno State supporters as each week the Community Food Bank feeds up to 46,000 people a week. Thirty-eight percent of the members served by the Community Food Bank are 18 and under and 68 percent of the people served have incomes below the official federal poverty level.
"Anytime we can harness the energy of our students and student-athletes and have the community come together to help our neighbors is a wonderful cause," Associate Athletics Director Paul Ladwig said. "The can food drive is a great project for all of us to help fight valley hunger."
If there is one thing Cervantes wants people to realize it is any donation, great or small is beneficial to the food bank.
"Every little bit, whether it be time, money or a food donation helps makes an impact with the food bank," Cervantes said. "To some people just donating a canned food item doesn't seem like a lot but to us every item or every dollar is something we didn't have before. Every dollar donated allows us to buy eight dollars worth of food."
The Fresno State football team and Management students will also be seeking help from Bulldog fans to help sort the canned food items the following Saturday at the Food Bank. Fliers with complete details and sign up sheets will be made available at the game.
The Community Food Bank serves people through out Fresno, Kings and Madera counties. It was established in May of 1992 and today it is a certified affiliate of America's Second Harvest, the national network of food banks and the nation's largest charitable hunger-relief organization. The Community Food Bank serves more than 170 agencies. They range in size from large food and kitchen pantries to small distribution locations.
"Join the State - Fresno State!" - Fresno State Football travels to play at Nevada on October 6th at 1 p.m. See the game on BSN, the Bulldog Sports Network (KFRE CW 59, KUVI in Bakersfield, and Comcast Sports Net) starting at 12:30 p.m. with the Bulldog Blitz pregame show. The game can also be heard on the radio on KMJ 580AM, the flagship station for Bulldog football and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes 1600AM. The next home game is Saturday, October 20th on Homecoming as the Bulldogs take on San Jose State. For tickets, go to the ticket page at www.gobulldogs.com, call 559-278-DOGS or stop by the Bulldog Ticket Office.
