Local IU & Purdue Alumni Groups Vie for Evansville Oaken Bucket In 8th Annual Red & Black Give Back Food Drive Competition
MAY 9, 2024
The Indiana University Alumni Association Chapter of Greater Evansville (IUAA) and the Purdue Alumni Club of Evansville (PACE) are hosting their 8th annual Red & Black Give Back food drive competition this Saturday, May 11, between 8am-12 noon at the six Schnucks locations in Evansville and Newburgh. Donations for the competition can also be made now through noon this Saturday by texting RED-BLACK to 71777; then follow the instructions to support your favorite team.
The winner will be determined by which club can collect the most food and raise the most dollars to benefit Tri-State Food Bank. Over its 7-season history, Red & Black Give Back has raised over $35,000 and has collected over 12,000 pounds of food – a total equivalent of approximately 160,000 meals – to help our Tri-State neighbors in need.
The winner is not only competing for a worthy cause but for bragging rights and their own Old Oaken Bucket. “The Purdue vs. Indiana rivalry goes back over 100 years, with the original Oaken Bucket football game going back to the 1920s. This rivalry is more than a competition, it showcases the greatness of each school and their contributions to their communities, the state of Indiana, and beyond. While the Oaken Bucket we trade back and forth for our local food drive doesn’t have quite the history, we believe this food drive competition shows the greatness and commitment of our alumni, as well as their dedication to give back to our community” stated Eric Johnson with the Purdue Alumni Club of Evansville. Purdue currently is in possession of the bucket after inching out IU in last year’s tiebreaker round, making the current ‘score’ Purdue 4, IU 3, for the history of the competition between the two teams.
“The IU Alumni Association of Greater Evansville is excited to once again battle with the Purdue Alumni Club of Evansville for the benefit of Tri-State Food Bank. We look forward to taking back possession of the Old Oaken Bucket, but the real winners in this endeavor are all those who are served by Tri-State Food Bank. We’re Hoosiers Fighting Hunger. GO IU!” stated Kyle King, Indiana University Alumni Association of Greater Evansville Chapter Board Member.
The six Schnucks locations participating in the Red and Black Give Back event are as follows:
- Darmstadt – 600 East Boonville-New Harmony Rd, Evansville, IN
- Evansville West – 4500 West Lloyd Expwy, Evansville, IN
- Evansville North – 3700 First Ave, Evansville, IN
- Lawndale Commons – 5000 Washington Ave, Evansville, IN
- Green River – 3501 North Green River Rd, Evansville, IN
- Newburgh – 8301 Bell Oaks Drive, Newburgh, IN
All food and tax-deductible monetary donations will benefit Tri-State Food Bank. Now in its 42nd year, Tri-State Food Bank operates out of an 80,000-square-foot facility in Evansville and disburses over 15 million pounds of food each year to over 300 agencies and feeding programs in 33 counties throughout the Tri-State.
For anyone with questions, or looking to donate or volunteer at the event, please contact the alumni group for your team of choice (listed below). Both groups can be reached promptly by email.
Purdue – pacevansville@gmail.com , @PACevansville (Facebook)
Indiana – iuaaevansville@gmail.com, @iuaaevansville (Twitter and Facebook)
