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Backgrounder: "Cans to Candelaria"
Beginnings:
During spring semester 2006, the 14 journalism students in Dr. Lee Anne Peck's capstone public relations course at the University of Northern Colorado decided to create a PR plan for the non-profit Weld Food Bank for their midterm project: The plan would create the first UNC campus-wide food drive.
After breaking into two teams, the students competed against one another to create a plan that would be voted on by employees of the Weld Food Bank. Both teams "won," however. The food bank employees liked one team's event title and key message and liked the other team's ideas for a series of events that would lead up to a final day of the drive. The winning name was "Cans to Candelaria" with the key message of "Lend a Helping Can." Three summer journalism interns-Joe Dawson, James Lung and Christine Powell-continued worked on the plan, creating the steps toward implementation. The fall 2006 capstone PR course students continued to help with food-drive events. The food drive is based on Colorado State University's "Cans Around the Oval" annual food drive, a CSU fall event that raises thousands of pounds of food each year for the Food Bank of Larimer County and involves not only the campus but also the Fort Collins community.
The 2006 food drive:
After creating awareness on campus through a variety of events (including a raffle and participation in the homecoming parade), almost 50 different UNC groups registered to participate in UNC's first food drive. On Oct. 19, 2006, the collected cans were dropped off by participating UNC groups and weighed then lined on the sidewalk from Bishop-Lehr Hall to Candelaria Hall. A celebration was held that evening, with pizza provided by Pizza Street of Evans. A 4-foot tall trophy was presented by the Weld Food Bank to the first place winners: members of the Student Dietetic Association. Second place went to UNC's Mortar Board while third place went to Pan-Hellenic. Almost 4,000 pounds of food was donated to the food bank.
Campus resident halls, organizations, colleges, programs, schools, clubs, all participated in this non-profit evnt with some groups challenging their peers or other similar UNC groups to beat them.
The 2007 food drive:
Summer 2007 interns helping with the second annual food drive were Leah Parker, Courtney Folkerts and Tiffany Wong. The collection of cans was Oct. 11. Almost 8,000 pounds of food was collected, and more than $3,000 was donated. Alpha Kappa Psi won the campus competition with 603 pounds of food. About 60 campus groups participated.
The 2008 food drive:
Ashley Lucas, summer 2008 intern, helped with the third annual food drive/competition. Fall 2008 public relations students began helping when classes begin in the fall. The collection goal was 10,000 pounds of food in either non-perishable food or cash. (Cans to Candelaria also collected cash this year with $1 equal to 6 pounds of food.) The key message for the 2008 drive was "Show us your cash and cans!" The collection date was Oct. 9, 2008, and by the end of October almost 28,000 pounds of food in cans and cash was collected. The first place winner was the Student Dietetic Association, collecting 3,200 pounds of food.
The 2009 food drive
Interns for the 2009 food drive were Haley McLeod, Jessica Azzolina and Morgan Brooks. The collection date for cans and cash was Oct. 8, 2009, with the goal set at 40,000 pounds of non-perishable food and cash; approximately 60,000 pounds were collected. Fall 2009 PR Techniques students also worked on the drive. The key message for 2009 was “Get the facts!”
The 2010 food drive
Interns for the 2010 food drive were Chelsea Bell, Lindsey Mills and Chelley Knight. The collection date for cans and cash was Sept. 30, with the goal set at 50,000 pounds of non-perishable food and cash; approximately 60,000 pounds were collected. Fall 2010 PR Techniques students also worked on the drive. The
The 2011 food drive
This year, Cans to Candelaria will change hands from PR students in the journalism program to members of the Student Dietetic Association. Intern for the 2011 food drive is Chelsea Bell, under the supervision of Dr. Peck. Dr. Peck’s spring senior PR class also helped with beginning preparations. The collection date for cans and cash is Sept. 22, with the goal set at 70,000 pounds of non-perishable food and cash. The key message for 2011 is “Black Out Hunger.”
UNC community members who want to become involved can e-mail: canstocandelaria@hotmail.com or call Dr. Alana Cline at (970) 351-1783. More information is available at the food drive Web site. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. About 50 Greeley-area businesses have donated during the past five food drives.