March Madness Drive to Benefit Food Bank
Duke schools, departments face off by donating food online
Duke Pratt School of Engineering faculty, staff and students are getting competitive.
This is the sixth year Pratt has organized a university-wide food drive to benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, but this is the first time the event will be held online and timed with March Madness.
Because the food bank receives an influx of donations during the holidays, when Pratt has held its drives in the past, Duke employees and students have decided to tie in the friendly university competition with the excitement of men's basketball championships. The drive runs from March 18 to March 31.
"We wanted to try something different and just try to keep people motivated," said Michell Wheeler, a human resources specialist and food drive organizer at the Pratt School of Engineering.
Pratt is using YouGiveGoods, an online platform that allows people to give monetary donations. In return, the YouGiveGoods staff will purchase, package and deliver the donations to the food bank at the end of the month.
Each participating school and department within Duke will have a webpage set up for donations, where people can buy individual items that range from cans of beans to low-sugar cereal, or food boxes that cost $50 to $500 and include items such as fruit, vegetables and tuna fish.
Last year, Duke collected 8,240 pounds of food, which turned into 6,939 meals that were distributed to the community around Thanksgiving. Pratt ended up donating the most food and taking home a trophy in the shape of a miniature shopping cart.
"We have some very competitive faculty members here, and I will not share my secrets," Wheeler said.
This year, the Friedl Building, Gross Hall, Divinity School, Pratt and Sanford School of Public Policy are on board to compete, and the winner will be announced in conjunction with the NCAA Final Four games at the beginning of April.
Lauren Landis, the food drive and special events coordinator with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, said higher education partnerships motivate students, faculty and staff who want to help.
The food bank appreciates big drives that aren't scheduled during the holidays, Landis said, "because we don't get as many during other times, so our need stays pretty constant."
Wheeler said she hopes this drive gives the food bank the boost it needs during spring.
"It's very rewarding because we're giving back," she said.