SGA sponsors food drive to benefit area charities

'Madison Challenge' fosters strong relationship with community

Jandi Clark / contributing photographer SGA members collect canned foods Friday for 'Madison Challenge,' a food drive benefitting Mercy House and other charities. Items are accepted in the SGA office this Thursday.

Various student organizations will compete this week in "Madison Challenge," a fund-raising drive to collect non-perishable food for Mercy House and other community charities.

The Student Government Association's Community Affairs Committee organized the event and asks that donations be dropped off at the SGA office, Taylor 234, by Thursday, Nov. 21, according to a flyer from SGA.

The food will be donated to local families before Thanksgiving, according to Jenny Brockwell, chairperson of SGA's Community Affairs Committee. The committee will tally totals this weekend and announce the winner of the competition after Thanksgiving break.
"We tried to look for a group that would have the most local effect possible, since it is our goal to foster a stronger relationship with the Harrisonburg community," SGA President Levar Stoney said.

According to Brockwell, the organizations currently participating are Boarderline, Gymnastics Club, JMU Dietetics, Madison Marketing Association and SGA. Greater Madison, an alumni group on campus, also is collecting, although they are not competing.

Brockwell said the SGA currently is accepting clubs and organizations that want to participate. "No one has brought anything in yet, so any clubs that are interested in joining are still welcome," Brockwell said.

Brockwell said the winning organization will receive a pizza party with JMU President Linwood Rose, for which local Domino's Pizza restaurants will donate 16 pizzas. The winning group also will receive an engraved brick to be placed in the sidewalk by the Alumni Center.

The second-place club wins a free movie screening of their choice at Grafton-Stovall Theatre from University Program Board, Brockwell said. Third place earns the right to paint one of two rocking chairs to be placed in Taylor Down Under.

According to Brockwell, judging will be proportionate to the number of members in an organization. For example, a club with 30 members that donates 150 cans of food would win over a club with 300 members that donates the same amount.

Stoney, who said he proposed the idea, said he learned of the concept while browsing Eastern Kentucky University's SGA Web site. There, students spelled out the school initials on the football field with collections. Brockwell said she hopes to be able to do the same in coming years.