BOSTON - America East Conference student-athletes will participate in a unique food drive during the 2015-16 season, it was announced Wednesday. Organized by the conference’s Student-Athlete-Advisory Committee (SAAC), the #AEFoodFrenzy is a conference-wide community service initiative designed to promote cohesion between America East’s member institutions while also providing significant donations to several charities in campus communities.
Each of the conference’s nine member institutions will conduct three canned food drives during the 2015-16 academic year. All canned goods, minus one box of goods, will then be donated to a charity of the institution’s choice. The one remaining box will be donated to a partnering institution’s charity of choice as a sign of the unified community service event.
Student-athletes from partnering institutions will exchange boxes of goods prior to select America East events this year. The exchanges will take place prior to conference contests in women’ soccer and basketball, as well as the 2016 America East Outdoor Track & Field Championship.
“The #AEFoodFrenzy is a great way to connect all nine America East institutions while making positive contributions to the surrounding communities,” said America East SAAC President and National SAAC Representative, Liz Wood. “As a SAAC, we wanted to create an idea that united us as a conference and had us working together to make a difference.”
The initiative was the idea of Toni Onikeku, a UMass Lowell track and field student-athlete and SAAC member, who passed away tragically in August. America East SAAC is carrying out this initiative in honor of Onikeku and his passion for community service.
“With Toni’s tragic passing, this initiative means even more to us as it reflects his genuine heart and altruistic attitude,” said Wood, a women’s basketball standout at University of Maine. “We hope that our food donations will bring smiles half as bright and contagious as Toni's to people all over the America East footprint.”
The #AEFoodFrenzy reflects the missions of both the America East SAAC and the conference at large. The America East Conference and all its members are dedicated to impacting, engaging and growing a community that reflects the values and convictions of the conference.
Follow America East’s social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram throughout the year for #AEFoodFrenzy photos, video and other news and use the #AEFoodFrenzy, #AESAAC and #3Pillars hashtags to get involved in the conversation.
Benefitting Food Pantries
Albany –Regional Food Bank of Northeastern, NY
Binghamton – Bear Necessities Pantry
Hartford – Food Share of Bloomfield, CT
Maine – Manna Ministries
UMBC – Maryland Food Bank
UMass Lowell – Merrimack Valley Food Bank
New Hampshire – Cornucopia Food Pantry
Stony Brook – Stony Brook University On-Campus Food Pantry
Vermont – Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf
Partnering Institutions
Albany and Binghamton
Hartford and UMass Lowell
UMBC and Stony Brook
Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont
#AEFoodFrenzy Fall Dates (All Exchanges Prior Women’s Soccer Games)
October 1 – Albany and Binghamton: UNH gives to Vermont
October 8 – Vermont gives to Maine
October 15 – Maine gives to New Hampshire
October 25 – Hartford and UMass Lowell; UMBC and Stony Brook