Athletes raise over 1,500 items in food drive

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Photo credit: Colton Meyer

Each team group had a designated drop-off location for the can drive competition.

JJ Anderson, Staff Writer

Linfield’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee partnered with Yamhill Community Action Partnership to hold a food drive that raised a total of 1,588 food items for low-income families in Yamhill County. 

The food drive lasted from Jan. 11 to Jan. 29. During that time, athletes were encouraged to bring in donations and place them into their team’s corresponding bin located in the HHPA foyer. 

The entire athletic program was divided into teams of two, creating a competition between the teams to see who could raise the most food. In the end, the duo of the baseball team and the women’s soccer team took first place, raising 756 total food items. 

Junior baseball player and Student Athletic Advisory Committee community outreach representative Colton Meyer led the event. In his role with the committee, Meyer takes responsibility for planning events that benefit the Yamhill County and Linfield communities. 

“The idea is to reach out to the community and make Linfield athletics a known entity and show our respect for what people in our community do for us,” Meyer said in an interview with Linfield University earlier this year. 

“The drive exceeded all expectations,” Meyer said  “The student-athletes helped many families in need and came together for a greater good. If it wasn’t for their participation of the students, the drive wouldn’t have been nearly as successful.”