As a part of Homecoming week, the Homecoming committee issponsoring a food drive to benefit the Baton Rouge Area FoodBank.
Emilia Gilbert, Homecoming committee adviser, said the fooddrive has been going on for several years.
Gilbert said student organizations are competing in a series ofevents this week, and the food drive is part of thecompetition.
Ian Navarre, a communication studies junior and member of theHomecoming Committee, said the groups participating in the eventsreceive points for the amount and weight of food they bring.
Navarre said the competition is not a philanthropic event, but atradition involved with Homecoming week.
Gilbert said the food drive is not just for studentorganizations involved in the competition. Students and othercommunity members who want to make individual donations are morethan welcome to participate.
Gilbert said the committee expects a lot of participation fromthe Baton Rouge community because many local businesses placedboxes outside of their offices to collect cans.
Gilbert said the Homecoming Committee hopes to see a goodturnout like they have in the past. Last year they raised more than17,500 cans of food, she said.
“The event is great because so many people participate and wealways get thousands of pounds of food each year,” Navarresaid.
The Food Drive takes place Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in FreeSpeech Alley.