BOZEMAN, Mont. – The MSU Bobcats have won the 25th annual Can the Griz food drive! The friendly competition between MSU and the University of Montana aims to collect the most donations for their respective local food banks.
Together, both schools were able to raise a total of 1,302,154 pounds of food!
Montana State University and the Gallatin Valley community donated the equivalent of 652,876 pounds of food to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank and MSU’s Bounty of the Bridgers food pantry.
Kim Cleary from the MSU Office of Student Engagement, which coordinates Can the Griz, shared that the community donated 234,866 pounds of food and $418,010. Each dollar is counted as one pound of food, leading to the impressive total.
“We are so grateful to the community for supporting Can the Griz,” Cleary said. “At its core, this competition is about getting food on the tables of people in our community, and it has done just that; so many individuals and families will be fed thanks to the generosity of others. We offer our deepest thanks to all who contributed.”
Meanwhile, the Griz put up a good fight with their Can the Cats food drive in Missoula, as they collected the equivalent of 649,278 pounds of food for the Missoula Food Bank – A difference of only 3,598 pounds!
The University of Montana also expressed pride in their efforts, stating on Facebook, “We are so proud to have raised over 1.3 million dollars/pounds of food across the state of Montana!! Our friendly, off-field food drive competition was so close this year!! Congrats to our friends in Bozeman for taking home the gold in the 25th year of the competition!! Thank you so much to everyone who donated, volunteered, and cheered us on! Together, we nourish community.”
Last year, MSU and its supporters donated the equivalent of 596,877 pounds of food, though it wasn’t enough to surpass UM’s collection of 870,192 pounds. Over the 25 years of the competition, MSU and the Gallatin Valley community have won 20 times.
Donations from Can the Griz support the Gallatin Valley Food Bank and MSU’s Bounty of the Bridgers food pantry year-round. Bounty of the Bridgers is a student-driven initiative aimed at combating food insecurity for students, faculty, and staff.
Donations to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank are still welcome, and more information can be found at canthegriz.org.
Similarly, details on how you can donate to the Missoula Food bank can be found online at missoulafoodbank.org.
