Lorenzo Tuero, freshman communication major, talks about his group's partnered three day food drive with The Salvation Army. He sits nexts to the raffle prizes which were donated by six local businesses, including Emporia Main Street, Flint Hills Music, Casa Ramos, Sweet Granada, Jimmy Johns and Complete Works Custom Engraving.
A group of four Emporia State students have partnered with The Salvation Army for a three day food drive beginning this Friday. For each donation, the donor will receive raffle tickets with the chance to win donated prizes from six local companies.
“She (Captain Deb Thompson of The Salvation Army) took me downstairs to the pantry and almost all of the shelves were empty,” said Lorenzo Tuero, freshman communication major. “We are teaming up with the Salvation Army…to replenish those shelves.”
The drive will begin at 6 p.m. April 12 at the Emporia State Baseball Fields. It will continue on April 13 at 1 p.m. at the Baseball Fields and 2 p.m. at the Spring Football Game at Welch Stadium, and at 12 p.m. April 14 at the Baseball Fields.
“Not only are you dropping off food to help people but you can also win some pretty good prizes,” Tuero said. “The more you donate the more chances you have of winning something…Just remember, the battle cry is children going to school without a meal.”
The raffle prizes include an “Emporiaopoly game” donated by Jess Buchholz of the Emporia Main Street, a new Harmonica by Flint Hills Music, a free meal by Casa Ramos, a $5 gift certificate by Sweet Granada and 10 free sub certificates by Jimmy Johns.
Corey Palmber Hopkins of Complete Works Custom Engraving also donated a 1st place trophy for the person who donates the most food and an MVP medal for the student from the group who did the most work.
The group, called Project Blue, is a team created in a communication class, called Small Communications Organization, and is made up of Tuero, Sam Hengeli, Brogan Falls and Kacey Abram.
“It’s easy to say we’d like to fill up all the shelves, but we probably won’t,” Tuero said. “We’d like to fill up even half of the shelves.”