Purdue Edges out IU in Tiebreaker Year for Annual Food Drive Competition, Keeps Possession of the Evansville Oaken Bucket
MAY 11, 2023
The Purdue Alumni Club of Evansville (PACE) and Indiana University Alumni Association Chapter of Greater Evansville (IUAA) hosted their 7th annual Red and Black Give Back food drive competition at the six Schnucks locations in Evansville and Newburgh this past weekend, in partnership with Tri-State Food Bank. The winner was determined by which club collected the most food and monetary donations. The teams were not only competing for a worthy cause, but bragging rights and possession of the Evansville Oaken Bucket as well. They were neck-and-neck throughout this year’s Red & Black Give Back, with Purdue closely edging out IU to win the competition and maintain possession of the bucket.
“On behalf of the Purdue Alumni Club of Evansville, we are incredibly humbled by our alumni and friends in their support of the Tri-State Food Bank.â€, says PACE representative Nate Hahn. “For the first time in the 7-year history of the Evansville Oaken bucket, one school will hold the bucket in back-to-back years. We are proud it will be the Boilermakers. We want to thank the IU Alumni Association of Greater Evansville for another great year, hard-fought, and incredibly close competition. It is great to come together with our rivals for such a great cause. As always, the real winners are those that the Tri-State Food Bank serves.â€
Representing IUAA, Brad Colvert commented “It is a pleasure to serve the Tri-State Food Bank and our community! The IUAA Greater Evansville Chapter is humbled to volunteer alongside the Purdue Alumni Club of Evansville. A deep congratulations on their victory with the real winners being the Tri-State Food Bank. We look forward to taking back the bucket next year and raising the bar even higher from this year’s event. Go Hoosiers!â€
The collaborative effort of the two alumni groups resulted in a record-breaking year for monetary donations for the fund drive – raising nearly $10,000, which is $3,000 more than the previous record set in 2019. In addition, over 1,400 pounds of food were collected during the drive. The Red & Black Give Back food drive is a partnership with Tri-State Food Bank, who in turn will be able to provide nearly 43,000 meals to Tri-State families and individuals who face hunger.
Over the course of its 7-year history, the amount of food collected now exceeds 12,000 pounds, and the money collected is over $35,000. Therefore, as an overall result of the Red & Black Give Back food drive, the equivalent of over 157,000 meals has been generated to help fight hunger throughout the Tri-State.
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About Tri-State Food Bank
Tri-State Food Bank was established in 1982 and is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to feeding the hungry by soliciting marketable surplus foods and distributing the foods to non-profit agencies, which serve the needy in a 33-county area of the Tri-State. It is also the Tri-State Food Bank’s mission to aid in assisting member agencies in the various programs they sponsor and overseeing their success by serving as a channel for donors to be assured of good warehousing practices, accountability and equitable distribution within the network of collaborating organizations that are served while educating the public about the problems of hunger. Visit www.tristatefoodbank.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
