November 8, 2002 — While Ute and Cougar fans can be fiercely competitive when it comes to football, they can also be cooperatively compassionate when it comes to helping those in need. Over the past nine years, U of U and BYU fans have donated one million pounds of food to the Utah Food Bank, the result of a tradition to see which school can collect the most food just prior to the yearly football game.
Beginning Monday, Nov. 11, the schools will launch the tenth Utah-BYU Food Drive, sponsored by the University of Utah and BYU Alumni Associations. Collected food and cash donations will again this year be donated to the Utah Food Bank, a non-profit agency that distributes goods to all 70 Utah food pantries that service 212 charitable agencies throughout Utah. Agencies served by the pantries respond to more than 73,000 Utahns who request emergency service monthly. One-third of these people are children.
“This is a crucial time for the Utah Food Bank as they have an increased number of people they are serving this year,” notes John Fackler, director of business relations for the U’s Alumni Association. “We encourage all Utah and BYU fans, students, faculty, staff, alumni and the greater community to donate food or cash contributions during Rivalry Week as it helps the Utah Food Bank assist those in need during the holidays.”
Football fans are encouraged to bring donations of food, cash or checks to the Utah-BYU game on Nov. 23 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. However, participants need not be football game goers. Every person can make a difference by contributing even one can of food or nonperishable food item. Participants can also help feed those in need (and designate which team they support) by donating $1 at the checkout stand at any Smith’s Food & Drug Store. Monetary donations can be made online at www.alumni.utah.edu or in person at the University of Utah Alumni House, located at 155 South Central Campus Drive. In the past two years Utah fans have donated over $22,000 to the Utah-BYU Food Drive. This will be the first year BYU will solicit monetary donations.
Members of the U’s Student Alumni Association (SAA) will distribute food collection boxes to various departments and buildings on campus where donations will be collected. They include: The Alumni House; Accounts Payable, Park Building, 4th floor; Annex Building, Room 1009; ASUU Offices; The Daily Utah Chronicle Office; College of Law; Department of Philosophy; Department of Social Work; the Eccles Broadcast Center; the Eccles Institute for Human Genetics, Building 533, Room 2100; Fraternity and Sorority Houses; LDS Institute of Religion; Olpin Union Building, Main Floor and Food Service Court; Park Building, Main Floor; Purchasing, 151 Annex; Student Support Services, 2075 Annex; U of U Hospital Human Resources; U of U Medical Center Development; and the Women’s Resource Center.
For more information on the Utah-BYU Food Drive, call 801-581-3895