BADGERS GIVE BACK
Badgers help feed 3,611 area families Fifth-annual Red and White Hunger Fight results in donations of 2.5 tons of food
impressive figure was announced at halftime: 3,611. That's how many families will be
A
fed this holiday season thanks to the efforts of UW student-athletes and the Red and White Hunger Fight. The event is a campus-wide food
drive benefiting the Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin. The UW Student-Ath- lete Advisory Committee (SAAC) spearheaded the effort in collabora- tion with The Morgridge Center for Public Service, the Community Ac- tion Coalition and UW Homecom- ing Committee. Women's track team member and SAAC Vice President Carrie Ed- munds led the student-athletes in planning and organizing the event with the help of men's golfer Chris Meyer, SAAC Co-Vice President. For Edmunds, taking a leadership role in planning the campus-wide
24 ยป VARSITY NOVEMBER 22, 2012
t Tuesday's Wisconsin men's basketball game against Presbyterian, an
food drive was an easy decision. "Community outreach is very im- portant to me," Edmunds said. "By participating in this event, I'm able to help fami- lies have a nice meal, which everyone de- serves during the holidays." She was not alone in her eagerness to give back. All 23 UW varsity teams partici- pated in the drive. Many of the UW teams "tagged and bagged" local neighborhoods, dropping off bags on local doorsteps to collect food and returning a week later to collect them. "The student-athletes have rallied around the event and really have been the wheels for success behind the program," said Edmunds. Steeped in competitive tradition,
"It's a way for us athletes to give back to the commu- nity and to show our appre- ciation to Madison for ac- cepting and supporting UW Athletics." - Carrie Edmunds
teams competed against each oth- er for what team could collect the most food. Wrestling won the con- test, collecting 500 pounds of food. Volleyball and women's track tied for second, each collecting 465 pounds. "It's a way for us athletes to give back to the communi- ty and to show our apprecia- tion to Madi-
son for accepting and supporting UW Athletics," Edmunds said. The Red and White Hunger Fight was started by former UW women's soccer player Michelle Dalton in 2008. Since its debut, the "Fight" has collected more than 11 tons of food and over $4,443. These dona- tions have provided Thanksgiving meals to more than 18,333 families in the Madison area.
