Colorado State University and Larimer County Come Together for Largest Food Drive in Northern Colorado

Colorado State University and Larimer County will join hands Oct. 9 for the 17th annual "Cans Around the Oval," the largest food drive in Northern Colorado. Thousands of cans donated by students, faculty, staff and community members will line the university’s historic Oval.

Colorado State University President Larry Penley and honorary chair Thomas Sutherland, along with community members, volunteers, students, faculty and staff will place the first cans along the Oval at 10 a.m. Donations will be accepted at the Oval from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Students, faculty and staff have been canvassing neighborhoods, holding talent shows, car washes, dinner-date auctions and dances to raise cans to donate to the Food Bank for Larimer County. Last year, enough food was donated to circle the Oval 29 times. More than 60,000 pounds of food were donated for the hungry in Larimer County.

Mary Hallauer, event coordinator, said, "The Food Bank needs canned dinners such as beef stew and ravioli, they also need peanut butter, canned fruit and tomato products."

The Food Bank serves more than 40,000 Larimer County residents a year. These residents include single-parent families, the working poor, senior citizens, youth in crisis, the disabled and the homeless. Nearly half of those served are children.

Organizations across the community traditionally join in challenges to see who can raise the most food.  This year, Hillel, an on-campus Jewish organization, and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender organization (GLBT) have challenged each other to see who can raise the most cans. If Hillel wins, GLBT has agreed to make them dinner with all canned food, which must be kosher. If GLBT wins, Hillel must make them dinner using all canned food, which must be colorful.

Sponsors for the event include King Soopers, Greek Life and Spoons. For more information, contact coordinators Mary Hallauer or Jessica Goldberger at the Office for Service-Learning and Volunteer Programs at (970) 491-1483 or visit the Web at  slvp.colostate.edu.

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