(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 in 2004.

SAAC organized the canned food drive as a community service competition amongst the ten institutions in the USA South.  Each campus SAAC collected cans and other non-perishable items at their school 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. The institution with the most items collected would be crowned the Cans Across the Conference Champion. 

Overall, the USA South institutions collected 51,248 items, the second-largest total in the program's history. Over the eight-year history of the program, USA South Conference institutions have donated 229,952 items to various organizations. With a grand total of 19,952 items, Shenandoah University is the Cans Across the Conference Champion for 2011. The Hornets are winners for the second time and will be presented the Cans Across the Conference Trophy at a later date. Last year's winner, Christopher Newport University collected 11,700 items to finish second while Methodist University's 8,823 items rounded out the top-three.

Below is a list of the local organizations where the USA South institutions donated their collections: 

Averett University - God's Storehouse, a food bank for the less fortunate in Danville, Virginia.
Christopher Newport University - Virginia Peninsula Food Bank in Newport News, Virginia.
Ferrum College - split between the St. James Center, the Lake Christian Ministry and the Heavenly Manna and God's Provisions, in Western Virginia.
Greensboro College - Urban Ministry of Greensboro, North Carolina.
Mary Baldwin College - Blue Ridge, Virginia-Area Food Bank.
Meredith College - split between the Raleigh, North Carolina Rescue Mission in support of their "Changing Lives Here" program and Pamlico County.
Methodist University - split between Fayetteville, North Carolina Urban Ministry and Operation "InAsMuch".
N.C. Wesleyan College - Rocky Mount, North Carolina Englewood Presbyterian Church Food Pantry.
Peace College - Raleigh, North Carolina Urban Ministry.
Shenandoah University - Congregational Community Action Project's foob bank.

PHOTO GALLERY