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Food drive delivers the goods

December 20, 2007

What started out as a drive to benefit two local food pantries generated enough support to assist four such agencies, thanks to the generosity of the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø community.

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Cares, now in its second year, collected some 1,400 food items as well as cash, with additional donations still coming in. Groupings of employees and students, each headed by campus "cheerleaders," were assigned specific food items and goals.

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø students and staff have delivered boxes of food to the Franklin Community Center, the Mechanicville Community Center, the Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council (EOC) and the Salvation Army. In addition, nearly $1,200 was given to Shelters of Saratoga for perishable food items such as meat, cheese and fresh vegetables, and $250 was given to EOC for baby supplies such as diapers.

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Cares also collected gently used children's books, which have been distributed to the Franklin Community Center, Saratoga Mentoring, Ronald McDonald House and Head Start.

The student component of the program was organized by the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, with support from the student organization Benef-Action. In addition to food donations collected in the residence halls by student volunteers, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø athletes competed to collect the most "virtual food" through cash donations.

Faculty, staff and their families dropped off their donations in a sleigh on the front yard of Scribner House when they attended the Community Holiday Open House, hosted by Phil and Marie Glotzbach, on December 8 and 9.

"This program enhances for the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø community the meaningfulness of gathering together in the spirit of the season," said Marie Glotzbach, who is spearheading the effort. "We hope our efforts will continue to make a tremendous difference in the lives of many local families for many months to come."

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2007 Cheerleaders