November 3, 2005 — No matter the fortunes of our respective football teams, the biggest win of the year is beating BYU in the annual Utah-BYU Food Drive. It’s that time of year again, so Ute fans are being encouraged do the RED thing and fill up the Utah Food Bank, while creaming the Cougars.

Due to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, donations to the Utah Food Bank were down hundreds of thousands of pounds in September. University of Utah organizer John Fackler says that makes this year’s Food Drive the most important in years. “We need to make up that shortfall or many Utah families will be hungry this holiday season,” said Fackler.

More people are in need in Utah than ever before, and the Utah-BYU Food Drive will go a long way toward helping the cause. University of Utah President Michael K. Young is encouraging Ute supporters to participate. “The Utah-BYU Rivalry Week Food Drive is a wonderful way to show your support of the U, and to help those less fortunate at this crucial time,” said Young. “The friendly competition has two parts: the amount of food donations and the amount of monetary donations. Last year Utah won the monetary part, while BYU won in food donations, but the biggest winners were those helped by the money and food raised. I encourage you to help the U win both competitions this year.”

From November 7-19, the task is to show BYU that the Utes intend to fight for Utah’s hungry. Here’s how people can help:

• Donate cans and other nonperishable food items to the Alumni House at 155 S. Central Campus Drive or to other Food Drive pick-up sites around campus.
  
• At Del Taco locations, donate $1 at the cashier; choose a “Utah U” for the restaurant to display.
  
• Bring donations (cash, or check) to the Utah-New Mexico game on November 12 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
  
• Make a monetary donation online at www.alumni.utah.edu or in person at the Alumni House.

For more information, call the Alumni Association at 581-6995 or go online to www.alumni.utah.edu.