MISSOULA, Mont. – As game day excitement builds for the University of Montana Grizzlies, a different kind of competition is taking place in Missoula. The “Can the Cats” event invites locals to donate food to the community every Saturday.
Residents and university attendees stop by on their way to the Griz game to contribute to the food drive. Both the University of Montana and Montana State University host similar events, competing to see who can gather the most donations by the end of the year.
Amy Allison, executive director of the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center, shared insights about the event’s goals. “So can the cats. Is our off field competition between the cats and the Grizz, and this year, we’re hoping to beat the cats in our competition to raise the most food or funds for each of our communities. It’s just really exciting to be able to be the team the community that gets to say that we want,” she said.
Allison also explained how these efforts benefit the community. “In Montana, we are really seeing a lot of folks struggling with the cost of living, and so just really important to know that as much as we can come out to support our neighbors as really really important,” she said.
Last year, both Montana State and the University of Montana raised over a million pounds of food donations, highlighting the significant impact of this friendly rivalry.
