Largest campuswide food drive is under way

The Red and White Hunger Fight, a campuswide food drive at  UW–Madison, is now under way for this year, with more than 70 campus organizations on board to help.

“Student organizations are the foundation for the success of the Red and White Hunger Fight,” says Michele Dalton, a UW–Madison senior who initiated the effort in 2008. “The event itself attempts to bring together the greater student body for a single cause.”

Dalton, a member of the Badger women’s soccer team, was recently honored as Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year. She was also named to the first team All-Big Ten.

The Morgridge Center for Public Service, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and UW Homecoming combined resources to organize this year’s event.

A Homecoming food drive was conducted in October. Student organizations — among them fraternities and sororities — and UW Housing participated in the collection effort. The Community Action Coalition delivered and picked up barrels from the participating organizations.

“Tagging and Bagging,” coordinated by the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, will take place Monday, Nov. 6, through Sunday, Nov. 13. Athletic teams and student organizations are assigned neighborhood areas, and they will place grocery bags and flyers on front porches to inform residents about the food drive. They will return on Nov. 13 to collect bags of food.

Tuesday, Nov. 15, is “BIG Day,” which stands for Bring in the Goods. All donated food will be taken to Ogg Hall, 835 W. Dayton St. Beginning at 7 p.m., volunteers will sort, box and reload the food onto Community Action Coalition trucks.

The group that donates the most food will win a grand prize of tickets to a UW men’s basketball game and recognition during a presentation at center court.

Last year the Hunger Fight collected 6,600 pounds of donated food — the most since it began three years ago. Army ROTC won the grand prize by collecting 1,095 pounds. The number of student organizations, BIG Day volunteers and athletic teams participating in the food drive continues to grow.

“They’ve been very generous and outgoing in the past, and I expect the same this year,” Dalton says. “Madison, as a greater community, is also very generous. Annually, we’ve collected the most food from local residential neighborhoods. We’re very fortunate to be living in such a giving community.”

Dalton says the food donations are down this year, but it’s not totally unexpected. “People are still struggling with the economy. … Every year it always seems to work out, though, and I’m confident we will have a good turnout again this year.”

Megan Miller, civic engagement coordinator at the Morgridge Center, says, “In a time when there are more hungry families in Madison than ever, it is especially important for campus to rally in support of the Red and White Hunger Fight.”

Anyone who would like to donate to the drive can drop off food at the Morgridge Center, first floor of the Red Gym, 716 Langdon St.