UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Club Sports Council, in collaboration with Campus Recreation, a unit of Student Affairs, recently conducted a food drive to benefit the State College community.
The Club Sports Council is a student-led group that represents the various club sports teams at the University Park campus. Every year, club athletes and council members from this group conduct two food drives, in the fall and spring, to collect goods for the State College Food Bank.
This fall semester, 24 club teams participated in the food drive. Right before Thanksgiving, the combined efforts of these club teams produced a total of 4,756 pounds, or 2.38 tons, of donated goods. The Club Sports Council is on track to break last year’s donation total, as all donations for the 2018-19 academic year yielded a combined 6,432 pounds or 3.22 tons of donated goods.
Campus Recreation staff members, along with the help of five club sports athletes, packaged and transported the 2.38 tons of donated goods to the State College Food Bank over the course of three days prior to Thanksgiving.
For every six items donated, a club sports athlete earns one hour of community service for their team. Club Sports organizations at University Park are tiered based upon a number of factors, including, but not limited to, student development workshop attendance and community service. Community service is an important function within the club sports program. The clubs participate in a variety of service events throughout the year, including volunteering at youth sporting events, donating clothes, participating with Meals on Wheels, and more.
To learn more about the Club Sports at Penn State University Park, visit the Club Sports webpage hosted on the Student Affairs website. Those interested in donating food during the holiday season can contact the State College Food Bank. For food donations to help Penn State students, visit the Lion’s Pantry website.