Can the Bods is an annual food drive between Emporia State and Washburn University to help fight food insecurity and supply Corky’s Cupboard with food. This year, ESU successfully canned the bods, beating Washburn in the annual drive.
“Our can total was 26,560 cans. The way we get to that number is that the dollar amount of money we raise equals a certain amount of cans and physical items also have a can equivalent,” said ASG President Sophia Dawson.
Along with canned goods, money and packaged food items such as ramen noodles were collected as well.
“All of the donations go directly to Corky’s Cupboard…all the monetary donations go directly to Corky’s Cupboard. Those financial donations allow Corky’s Cupboard to use that money for whatever they need. So those fresh ingredients that they give, fresh fruits, meats, eggs, dairy, frozen meals, stuff that can’t be donated is purchased with that money,” Dawson said.
The locations on campus with the fullest boxes of cans were Plumb Hall, Visser Hall, and HPER. Campus units that had the most with financial donations were the School of Applied Health Sciences in first place, beating the $200 goal and raising $499.80; the Infrastructure unit in second place, by raising $315; and Marketing + Communications and The Foundation in third, almost meeting the goal with raising around $195 each.
Since the School of Applied Health Services won, they will have their name on a plaque and put up in Corky’s Cupboard.
Dawson also said that the fundraising goal was exceeded by 15 percent with a total of $4,630 raised and the initial goal being $4,000. Wasburn raised around 13,000 cans, and ESU basically doubled their count, raising 26,560.
For next year, Dawson says the goal will be about the same for both the can and money amounts. Although, Dawson says ASG is “always aiming higher.”
Dawson would like to thank the GIVE students for helping with can collection around campus, ASG’s Campus and Community Relations Committee for helping with promotion, market and media purposes, can collections, and the announcement at the football game, KVOE for donating cans, and Marketing + Communication for sending out campus emails and posting announcements on Hornet TV and social media.
“I think our campus has a desire to give back…I would attribute the efforts to the community and their passion for giving back and showing that they care for their fellow Hornets,” Dawson said.