Food fight raises $2,962 for charity

Students came together last Tuesday and Wednesday to collect canned goods and raise money for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and Mercy Corps.

The JMU-Harrisonburg Food Fight raised $2,962.01 and collected 200 pounds of canned goods to donate to food charities.

All proceeds went to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, a local agency serving the residents of the Blue Ridge Area, and Mercy Corps, an international agency feeding the hungry worldwide.

For every $1 given, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank translates into $17 worth of food and supplies for local families. Mercy Corps, for every $1 given, gives local families $12.75 worth of food and supplies, junior Josh Tarr said.

A total of $44,059.75 will be donated to the hungry in the local area and around the world.

This event was sponsored by Psychology Peer Advising, JMU Dining Services and the University Program Board.

"The (JMU-Harrisonburg) Food Fight project hopes to achieve a raised awareness about the basic needs of others in our own community and around the world, and that all of us have the ability to make a positive change in the fight on world hunger," said Anne Hardey, peer advising coordinator.

Tables were located at various locations across campus where students could give donations, including Warren Hall, the commons, the Festival and University Recreation. Other forms of contributions included purchasing a "Food Fight" cup designed by ARAMARK, the company that supplies on-campus food.

"It is important to take personal responsibility to positively affect those who are less fortunate in our own community and around the world," said junior Josh Tarr, a peer adviser.

"This is especially true in a community such as JMU, where many of us not only have resources, but [also] the heart and desire to help others," he added.

In response to the Food Fight, junior Jennifer Burnett, a peer adviser, said, "We're trying to make an effect on a global scale, not just a local scale."