This Week, Support the JMU Dukes in the CAA Food Drive, March 23-29

James Madison Athletics will be participating in the third annual Colonial Athletic Association conference-wide Food Drive Challenge, sponsored by the JMU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

The project not only provides an opportunity for student-athletes to compete in a non-athletic realm across campuses, but it also allows institutions to address the need for donated food in their local communities in an effort to address hunger.

JMU will host the food drive Monday, March 23^rd through Sunday, March 29^th, a week that includes nine home sporting events where food can be donated. Fans can also make a donation through an online food drive service that will allow the event to expand beyond the JMU campus.

Donation bins will be placed at each of the following sporting events:

            March 24^th Men's Tennis vs. Howard 2 p.m.
            March 24^th Baseball vs. Maryland 6:30 p.m.
            March 25^th Women's Tennis vs. Williams College 2 p.m.
            March 25^th Lacrosse vs. Liberty 7 p.m.
            March 27^th Baseball vs. College of Charleston 6:30 p.m.
            March 28^th Softball vs. College of Charleston (DH) 1 p.m.
            March 28^th Baseball vs. College of Charleston 6:30 p.m.
            March 29^th Softball vs. College of Charleston 1 p.m.
            March 29^th Baseball vs. College of Charleston 2 p.m.

Those who bring at least one non-perishable food item to any of the four baseball games will receive free admission for that day. All other JMU sporting events are free admission for all spectators.

As part of the competition, each school partners with a local food bank organization to be the beneficiary of the goods collected. This year, JMU SAAC has designated Our Community Place as the local food bank to support.

"I really liked OCP when I went there and saw what they were doing to help people in the community to get back on their feet," said Amanda Presgraves, a junior on the swimming and diving team and the Community Outreach and Campus Engagement representative for SAAC. "The food's going to an organization that works with other local organizations, to not only serve food but to also give opportunities and provide resources that can improve lives."

In order to encourage student-athlete involvement, the food drive will also be a competition among the teams at JMU in addition to competing against other schools from the CAA. Cash donations online and at campus collection sites can be designated to support a specific JMU team's fundraising efforts.

A winner will be determined based on the number of pounds of nonperishable food collected by each institution. Monetary donations will be accepted and converted into pounds of food at a consistent rate as well. The CAA will announce the winner in March and CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager will present the winning institution with a trophy during a future event.

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