(FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.) – The holidays are a time to give thanks and appreciate the blessings in one's life.  The members of the USA South Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) realized that not everyone is as fortunate as they are and wanted to do something to help make it a happier holiday in their communities.  And so Cans Across the Conference was initiated last year. 

SAAC organized the canned food drive as a community service competition amongst the eight institutions in the USA South.  Each campus SAAC collected cans and other non-perishable items at their school from October 3 through November 17 to benefit a local charity.  It was up to each institution to decide how they wanted to collect and to which group the donation would go to.  The institution with the most items collected would be crowned the Cans Across the Conference champion.  Overall, the USA South institutions collected 16,619 items!  With an amazing 3,863 total, Greensboro College is the Cans Across the Conference champion for 2005.  Christopher Newport University came in a close second with 3,547 items.  The Pride will be presented with their trophy at a later date.  The USA South is making this an annual event and will look to surpass this year's total in 2006. 

The institutions got creative when finding ways to collect cans.  Methodist College, for example, made it an intra-collegiate affair.  They had a competition amongst all the teams in the athletic department to see who could collect the most cans.  The Ferrum College group tied their drive in with Halloween and trick-or-treated in the community for cans.  Peace College held an 80's prom and admission was a donation of 15 cans.  Greensboro utilized their football game with cross-town rival Guilford College where admission was donation of cans and nonperishable items.

The institutions donated their items to organizations in their local communities.  Averett University donated their 862 cans to God's Storehouse, a food bank for the less fortunate in Danville, Va.  Christopher Newport made their large donation to the Peninsula Food Bank in Newport News, Va.  Ferrum made their donation of 2,347 items to St. James Community Center, which offers members of the Franklin County community clothes and food.  Greensboro made their huge donation to the Greensboro Urban Ministry.  The group provides crisis intervention and emergency services to those in need.  Methodist donated their 2,820 cans and non-perishable items to their local Salvation Army. N.C. Wesleyan split their donation of 1,343 items between the Rocky Mount United Way and a couple of church pantries in the Rocky Mount, N.C. area.  Peace donated their 1,587 cans to Urban Ministries Food Bank of Raleigh, which services more than 13,000 families and individuals in the Raleigh, N.C. every year.  Shenandoah gave their 250 cans to The Shelter for Abused Women in Winchester, Va. 

"Our SAAC initiated "Cans Across the Conference" food drive last fall to assist those less fortunate in their communities, stated USA South Commissioner," Rita Wiggs.  "The need is magnified this year by the Hurricane Katrina and Rita disasters.  We are grateful to all who support this initiative and bless those who will feel its benefits in a time of need and wish for them a more bountiful holiday season."