MADISON, Wis. — The fall season is upon us and with that comes cool crisp mornings, colorful leaves, and thrilling Badgers games. Many of us now also shift our eyes towards Thanksgiving and the holiday feast.
Unfortunately, these visions of bliss are not a reality for everyone. Every year, families in Dane County go without Thanksgiving meals. Wisconsin Athletics and Badgers Give Back have come together for an 11th consecutive year to help fill this void.
“The Red & White Hunger Fight is a Wisconsin tradition that demonstrates unity and shows firsthand how Badgers all over Dane County are giving back,” shared UW director of community relations Jackie Davenport.
“This year’s campaign is yet another example of the amazing and compassionate people in our community. Every year I am energized by the support we show for our neighbors.”
This year, student-athletes and staff volunteered at an array of Badgers athletic events, collecting non-perishable food items and monetary donations. All proceeds go directly to the Goodman Community Center to help their annual Thanksgiving Basket drive. In the past, this partnership has assisted in providing over 3,500 meals for deserving families in Dane County.
This year was no different! With a goal of raising $6,500 and collecting as much food as possible, the campaign kicked off with student-athletes walking through local neighborhoods to drop off food bags. They also spoke with community members about the importance of the basket drive.
Student-athletes and staff members also welcomed fans to men’s hockey and volleyball games. More than $2,000 in monetary donations was raised at hockey, while over 500 food items and $2,200 was donated by fans at volleyball.
“It was a great opportunity helping out at the donation drive,” said swimming and diving’s Kevin Braun. “I was surprised at how many people ended up donating for families that can’t have their own thanksgiving dinner. The community truly does care and that makes me very proud to be a part of it.”
If you would like to contribute to the Thanksgiving basket drive, please visit www.GoodmanCenter.org. For more information on Badgers Give Back and volunteering opportunities, visit www.uwbadgers.com/badgersgiveback.
Source: http://www.uwbadgers.com/news/2017/10/25/varsity-magazine-working-together-to-ensure-warm-thanksgiving-meals.aspx
Leave a Reply