The Colorado State University community took part in the annual Cans Around The Oval food drive on Oct. 20. Photos by John Eisele/CSU Photography
Colorado State University’s annual drive for the Food Bank for Larimer County — C.A.N.S. Around The Oval — ended on a high note, exceeding its monetary goal by more than $20,000.
In its 35th year, C.A.N.S. — which stands for “cash and nutritious staples” — raised $66,498.65 and collected 19,082 pounds of food. The 2021 goal targeted $40,000 and 20,000 pounds of food, according to C.A.N.S. organizer Michael Buttram, who serves as the basic needs program manager for CSU’s Student Leadership, Involvement, and Community Engagement (SLiCE) office.
“We blew our monetary goal out of the water,” Buttram said. “It’s a demonstration of a community that cares for the wellbeing of its citizens. We have made it a priority to make sure the needs of every community member matter.”
As one of the largest fund and food drives in Northern Colorado, Buttram said that this year’s edition was special as the community returned to the Oval on Oct. 20 to deliver and weigh food. “There was a sense of energy and joy and that community-building spirit,” he said.
Katlyn Murphy, a senior majoring in microbiology, was volunteering on the Oval during the signature collection event. She said that she sensed the excitement in the volunteers who woke up early on a chilly fall morning.
“It’s really nice to be a part of this tradition,” said Murphy, who serves as part of the community support team in the SLiCE office. “The tradition of C.A.N.S. is very much alive and very much a driving force of why people want to volunteer and donate.”
Nearby, Aidan Briggs, a first-year student majoring in chemical and bioengineering, was on hand volunteering. Earlier in the week, she helped organize a food drive to help the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering compete in collecting food against other colleges and teams in C.A.N.S. Around The Oval.
“We really tried to ramp up the competition and get the community involved,” Briggs said. “It was cool to see people coming in and out of the (grocery) store willing to buy food or donate online. It was super cool to be a part of that.”
Competition winners
As in past years, teams were ranked according to a point system, which considers pounds of food collected, monetary funds raised and team attendance for the “CANversation Series,” which features discussions on food security.
“While the friendly competition is sure fun, it’s the collective effort that makes such a tremendous impact on the issue of food security in Larimer County,” Buttram said. “So, whether your team brought in 10 pounds of food or $10,000, please know that every dollar and every pound of food makes a difference. In this way, we help the Food Bank of Larimer County accomplish their mission, making our community a stronger and more well-nourished place to call home.”
Top overall
First Place: CSU College of Business
$23,222.31 (equaling 46,444 meals) and 1,137 pounds of food
237,956 points
Second Place: Office of the Vice President for Research and Divisions
$8,256.25 (equaling 16,513 meals)
82,563 points
Third Place: Kinard Middle School
$4,599.40 (equaling 9,199 meals) and 2,375 pounds of food
57,869 points
Honorable Mention Fourth Place: Rocky Mountain High School
$2,995.97 (equaling 5,992 meals) and 4,269 pounds of food
51,679 points
Honorable Mention Fifth Place: Dean’s Student Leadership Council
$3,754.76 (equaling 7,510 meals) and 764 pounds of food
41,418 points
CSU College/Department Teams
First Place: CSU College of Business
$23,222.31 (equaling 46,444 meals) and 1,137 pounds of food
237,956 points
Second Place: Vice President for Research and Divisions
$8,256.25 (equaling 16,513 meals)
82,563 points
Third Place: Vice President for Enrollment and Access
$2,203.33 (equaling 4,407 meals) and 62 pounds of food
22,345 points
Honorable Mention Fourth Place: Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering CANtributors
$1,578.25 (equaling 3,157 meals) and 507 pounds of food
18,316 points
Honorable Mention Fifth Place: MarComm – Together we CAN!
$1,253 (equaling 2,506 meals) and 144 pounds of food
13,247 points
CSU Student Group Teams
First Place: Dean’s Student Leadership Council
$3,754.76 (equaling 7,510 meals) and 764 pounds of food
41,418 points
Second Place: Sigma Alpha Epsilon
$900 (equaling 1,800 meals)
9,000 points
Third Place: ASCSU Student Government
$691.81 (equaling 1,384 meals) and 348 pounds of food
8,683 points
Honorable Mention Fourth Place: Warner College Council
577 pounds of food
2,885 points
Honorable Mention Fifth Place: CSU Finance Club
$288.30 (equaling 577 meals)
2,883 points
Honorable Mention Sixth Place: CSU Liberal Arts Dean’s Leadership Council
$11.80 (equaling 234 meals) and 41.8 pounds of food
1,477 points
Local School Teams
First Place: Kinard Middle School
$4,599.40 (equaling 9,199 meals) and 2,375 pounds of food
57,869 points
Second Place: Rocky Mountain High School
$2,995.97 (equaling 5,992 meals) and 4,269 pounds of food
51,679 points
Third Place: Riffenburgh Elementary
$1,451 (equaling 2,902 meals) and 920 pounds of food
19,108 points
Honorable Mention Fourth Place: Preston Middle School
$711.25 (equaling 1423 meals) and 1,300 pounds of food
13,611 points
Honorable Mention Fifth Place: McGraw Elementary
$732.81 (equaling 1,465 meals) and 929 pounds of food
11,971 points
Community Teams
Works Ministry raised $250 and 119 pounds of food
3,098 points
