Number of Participants: 31
Hours Donated: 2
Value of Time Served: $524
Event Type: Hunger
Sport: Schools
Date: March 25, 2014
Location:
720 Northern Boulevard Brookville
New York 11548, United States
About:
For the sixth-consecutive year, the LIU Post Department of Athletics successfully ran a food drive to give items back to Island Harvest to help the fight against hunger. The drive was co-sponsored by the LIU Post Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and all athletes were encouraged to donate cans of food and water to the cause.
“We are proud of our history in community service,” Director of Athletics and Recreation Bryan Collins (Sayville, N.Y.) said. “Our athletes logged over 40,000 hours of community service and we are very proud of the work that they do and their accomplishments not only on the field and in the classroom but also in helping out in the community, as well.”
The annual food drive has turned into a contest between the male and female athletes in recent years. Collins stated that this sense of competition helps up the ante and “get the competitive juices flowing in our athletes.” For the third time in as many years, the Pioneer men took home the honors of having contributed the most items to the cause.
“Our team is very focused on the competitive aspect of the drive,” said LIU Post Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach John Jez (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.). “But it is just great to give back to the community and do all that we can to help in the fight to end hunger.”
All in all, the LIU Post athletic department was able to supply Island Harvest with 19 boxes of food and three 32-packs of water to help stock the pantry for the needy.
“It’s always a good feeling to help the community,” said Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach Meghan McNamara (East Northport, N.Y.), who is also the department liaison for SAAC. “Even though the men out-performed us this year, doing the drive is a simple way to just give back to the less fortunate.”
Island Harvest is the largest hunger relief foundation on Long Island. The organization has designed a network of emergency feeding and community food programs that include soup kitchens, shelters, food pantries, low-income daycare centers, and senior, youth, outreach and rehabilitation centers within Nassau and Suffolk County. Island Harvest collects food from over 600 local restaurants, caterers, farms, and other food related businesses, as well as accepting donations at supermarkets from members of the community. The LIU Post Pioneers showed their support for the cause by passing out flyers and collecting food outside of local supermarkets, as well as packaging and loading trucks with previously donated food to help in the fight against hunger.
For more information on the organization, please visit www.islandharvest.org.
