Student-Run Food Drives: A Yearly Feat of Generosity

For three consecutive years, the student-driven food drives at the University of Alabama and Auburn University have achieved an extraordinary milestone. These drives have collectively raised over 1 million pounds of nonperishable items, which will significantly benefit the regional food banks.

Uniting for Hunger Relief - The Student Food Drive Success

Alabama-Auburn Food Drive: A Friendly Rivalry with a Noble Cause

Each year, these in-state rivals engage in a friendly competition during the weeks leading up to the highly anticipated Alabama-Auburn football game. This season, the game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. on November 30 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. The competition is known as “Beat Auburn Beat Hunger” in Tuscaloosa and “Beat Bama Food Drive” in Auburn. The University of Alabama's food drive benefits the West Alabama Food Bank, while Auburn's benefits the Food Bank of East Alabama.

Regardless of the winning school, the most crucial aspect is coming together to provide food for those in need. As Jean Rykaczewski, the chief executive officer of the West Alabama Food Bank, emphasizes, “We always have to remember that it's the pounds of food that will feed the hungry. In our area of the state, this is truly important.”

The results of the 31st annual food drive were revealed on Friday morning at the West Alabama Food Bank. The bank recently relocated from its Northport warehouse to the Buffalo Rock warehouse off Alabama Highway 69 South in Tuscaloosa. Rykaczewski previously stated that this food drive has been instrumental in raising awareness about food insecurity throughout the state.

The Impact on Local Food Banks

The West Alabama Food Bank serves a population of more than 315,000 residents across nine counties. In Tuscaloosa, the Beat Auburn Beat Hunger campaign collected an impressive 431,120 pounds of food. Meanwhile, in Auburn, the Beat Bama Food Drive gathered 980,928 pounds of food. This means Auburn won the competition, but together, both schools raised an astonishing 1,412,048 pounds of food for Alabamians in need. Auburn also emerged victorious in 2023.

The food drive collection began on October 4 and concluded on Thursday. Since its inception in 1994, the combined efforts of the University of Alabama and Auburn University have raised more than 8 million pounds of food for those in need. This continuous growth is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the students.

Kennedy Preston, who serves as the president of the 2024 Beat Auburn Beat Hunger campaign, expressed her pride. “Everybody has put a lot of their heart and soul into this drive this year. I'm really proud of how it's paid off for us to increase by over 100,000 pounds from last year. The ability to keep growing year after year is really exciting.” She also highlighted the positive impact the food drive has had on the community by providing food for those in need.