Be a part of the Together We CAN Drive

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Razorback athletes are asking University of Arkansas fans to pitch in this week to support the Southeastern Conference’s Together We CAN drive to support local food banks.

Sponsored by each SEC member’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the 10-day drive begins on Sept. 19 and continues until Sept. 28. All items collected during the 10-day drive are donated to local agencies.

“We are fortunate to be University of Arkansas athletes, and this is a great opportunity to work with the Southeastern Conference to help stop hunger as a conference,” president of the Razorback SAAC Kyle Komarek said. “We want to help those who aren’t as fortunate as we are in our communities, and we want to help them receive a proper meal.”

“As athletes, sometimes we are put up on a pedestal, but we have a lot of responsibility to give back,” SAAC secretary Whitney Cloer said. “It’s easy for us and our fans to forget that we need to look out for others. We’re excited to have the chance to use our position in the community to help others.”

For the Razorbacks, the recipient is the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, which services agencies in the four-county Northwest Arkansas area of Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties.

“Food drives like this one keep our shelves stocked, but almost as important, an event like this shows the good will of the community to make sure that everyone in the northwest Arkansas area is fed,” executive director of the NW Arkansas Food Bank Marge Wolf said. “Without this kind of drive, the food bank doesn’t exist.”

Among the most needed goods for the food bank are peanut butter, canned vegetables and fruits, canned soups, cereals, rice and dry milk.

Fans can bring a canned food donation to Razorback home events, starting with the Friday, Sept. 19, soccer match with Western Michigan.

The drive continues at the Arkansas-Alabama football game on Saturday, with collection receptacles placed at gates 1, 9, 12 and 16 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

The on-campus part of the drive concludes with the Razorback volleyball match against Florida on Sept. 26, with receptacles at the north and south entrances of Barnhill Arena.

The Razorback Athletic Department has partnered with Harps Food in the Fayetteville area to establish collection points for canned goods during this 10-day drive. Fans that can’t make it to one of the three designated collection games can drop a donation at Harps locations.

At the close of the drive, athletes, coaches and administrators from the Razorback Athletic Department will participate on Sept. 27 in a celebrity bagger program at the Fayetteville area Harps stores. Razorbacks will be on hand at these locations to sack and carry groceries, and encourage shoppers to make donations to the program.

This is the second year for the SEC Together We CAN drive.