Student Alumni Board Hosts Another Successful Pack the Pantry
By: Connor Mills
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ATHENS, Ohio – A homecoming event organized by Ohio University’s Student Alumni Board has reached beyond the campus and into the local Athens community.
SAB members and Greek life joined together to donate canned food items for the Athens County Food Pantry in an event called, Pack the Pantry.
“Student alumni board sets up the event, and the sorority and fraternity life are the ones that are actually donating,” said the SAB Vice President of Philanthropy, Anna Koscielicki. “Then we will then take it to the Athens County food pantry. They will use it to pack boxes for the next few months.”
The event is a yearly homecoming activity that pits fraternities and sororities against each other in a competition to donate the most canned food items. The winner is awarded points for the weekly competition with the championship team awarded $1,000 toward a beneficiary of their choosing.
“It’s just a way that we can all do it together and all collaboratively help one thing,” said Lizzie Szabo, a Greek life member. “It makes us stronger as sisters to not just do the fun things together but then to also [do] service together.”
To start, donations were trickling in but when time was up, Pack the Pantry totaled 2,230 canned food donations for the Athens County Food Pantry.
“The food pantry really appreciates this event,” said Koscielicki. “It really it fills up the food pantry for a long time.”
Since this event only happens during homecoming week, fraternities and sororities are also involved in other philanthropic events throughout the year.
“We are really active with the Ronald McDonald house too and we get a lot of feedback from them,” said Szabo. “They always really appreciate what we do, very reassuring and satisfying and feels good knowing you are helping.”
Pack the Pantry is expected to return next year.