In 1994, Auburn University and the University of Alabama began competing in a competition that didn’t have anything to do with the football field; it was a food drive, to Auburn fans known as the Beat Bama Food Drive.

During the four weeks preceding the Iron Bowl, both schools students, friends and alumni collect cans and donate money to help combat hunger. Over the years, more than 1.5 million pounds of food have been collected for people all across the state of Alabama.

“We’re doing really well so far,” explained Ashley Nichols, director of the Beat Bama Food Drive. “We had a lot more donations come in earlier and we already have more than 100,000 pounds of food at the food bank not including online donations.”

Three years ago, the Student Government Association took the initiative and also made a Beat Bama Virtual Food Drive, allowing anyone to participate. The competition lasts from Oct. 20 through Nov. 20 and the goal is to collect the most pounds of food. Auburn’s goal for the year is to raise more than 250,000 pounds of food.

“Basically our goal every year is to exceed the amount that we donated last year,” said Nichols, “and we’d love to beat Alabama while doing it. We received a great donation from Winn-Dixie on the first day of the drive this year, more than 33,000 pounds of food. It was an entire truckload.”

The food collected by Auburn is given to the Food Bank of East Alabama and the food collected by Alabama is given to the Food Bank of West Alabama. Auburn pledged to do its part to eradicate hunger in Alabama. Since the early years of the food drive, Auburn alone has collected more than 862, 596 pounds of non perishable food.

From 2000 to 2006 Auburn collected more food than Alabama, but last year Alabama took home the title. Alabama collected 241,336 pounds of food and Auburn collected 183,017.
Cans are being collected all around Auburn’s campus at 23 different drop off locations. Donations can also be made online at http://www.beatbamafooddrive.com.  Every dollar donated online is worth two pounds.