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The USA South Athletic Conference's 16th annual Cans Across The Conference food drive competition has concluded. Since classes began this fall until yesterday, all 18 of the USA South member institutions participated in the community service competition. Each campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) collected cans and other non-perishable items to benefit a local charity of their choosing. The institution with the most items collected is crowned the Cans Across the Conference Champion. 

With a grand total of 29,191 items, Averett University is the Cans Across the Conference Champion for 2019. The Cougars have now claimed their fifth consecutive competition victory. Averett's collection is the most in school history and the second-most garnered in a single year by an institution in the during the life of the competition. Berea College collected 8,620 items to finish second while Huntingdon College's 6,052 items rounded out the top-three.

Overall, the USA South institutions collected a record 69,387 items this fall, an improvement of 5,328 from last year. Over the 16-year history of the program, USA South Conference institutions have donated 575,168 items to various organizations.

Individually, nine institutions, consisting of Agnes Scott, Averett, Brevard, Covenant, Greensboro, Huntingdon, LaGrange, Pfeiffer and Piedmont, improved on their collection amounts from a year ago. Additionally, of those schools, Agnes Scott, Averett, Covenant, Huntingdon, Pfeiffer and Piedmont set new single-year records for their institution.

Below is a list of the local organizations where the USA South institutions donated their collections: 
Agnes Scott College: Decatur, Georgia Emergency Assistance Ministry.
Averett University: God's Storehouse Food Bank and God's Pit Crew, both of Danville, Virginia.
Berea College: Berea, Kentucky-Area Food Bank.
Brevard College: Brevard, North Carolina Bread of Life Food Bank.
Covenant College: Chattanooga, Tennessee-Area Food Bank.
Greensboro College: Greensboro, North Carolina Urban Ministry Food Bank.
Huntingdon College: Montgomery, Alabama-Area Food Bank.
LaGrange College: The LaGrange, Georgia Personal Aid/Interfaith Food Closet.
Mary Baldwin University: Blue Ridge, Virginia-Area Food Bank.
Meredith College: The Raleigh, North Carolina Rescue Mission.
Methodist University: Fayetteville, North Carolina Urban Ministry Food Bank.
N.C. Wesleyan College: The Saint James Missionary South Baptist Church in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
Salem College: Salem College On-Campus Food Pantry, "My Sibling's Closet".
Pfeiffer University: The Cooperative Christian Ministry Crisis Center in Concord, North Carolina.
Piedmont College: The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia.
Wesleyan College: The Mentor's Project of Macon, Georgia which provides role models for encouragement and motivation to local youth.
William Peace University: The Pacer Pantry on the WPU Campus which assists families-in-need within the University community.