What competition doesn’t require a helmet but demands persistence, strategy and teamwork? The Gate City Soup Bowl food drive. And, in 2009, Guilford defeated the Greensboro College Pride. When the totals were announced at the Soup Bowl game on Sept. 5, Guilford was the high scorer with 3,588 cans. Rival Greensboro College won the football game 12-7, but the Pride collected only 2,292 cans this year. The two schools have donated more than 45,000 non-perishable food items since the cross-town Soup Bowl began in 1997.

The combined contributions go to Food Assistance, Inc. and Greensboro Urban Ministries. These non-profit groups have come to depend on the Gate City Soup Bowl to help them fight poverty in the Greensboro area.

Junior Juliet Carrington wants Guilford students to understand the need and the positive impact of the food drive.

“There are a lot more people going hungry now,” said Carrington.

The 2009 food drive mirrored the new conditions of a shrinking economy with a greater need and less ability to give. As the unemployment rate in the U.S. came close to 10%, our local United Way food pantry was almost empty.

Unfortunately, the can drive didn’t reach the high numbers that were seen before the economy dove. In 2007, Greensboro College won the food drive competition with over 8,000 cans. This year, the combined total from the two schools was less than 6,000.

The good news is that a matching donation doubled the Guilford contribution. Our Guilford cafeteria food vendor Meriwether Godsey gave 5,000 pounds of cans and dried food.

“This year was different,” said Carrington. “A lot more people were involved and contributing creative ideas.” The can drive began with an open mike night in Dana Auditorium. The talent show brought in $50 and 50 cans. The RA’s in Byran organized a pizza feast in their dorm to collect cans and raise money to buy more cans.

In addition, athletes distributed bins around campus and Bonner Hunger Fellows and others collected the cans every night. The Thursday before the game, food-drive organizers gathered cans by knocking on every door in every dorm.

“The whole community gets into the food drive. It’s a big event,” said sophomore football player Andre Thompson.

As always, the cost of admission to the football game was two cans. Guilford looks to extend there two-year winning streak in 2010.

Canned food can last over a year. So, it’s not too soon to start stockpiling your cans for next year.