26th annual Can the Griz food drive launches Nov. 8

BOZEMAN - The annual Can the Griz food drive, a friendly off-field competition between Montana State University and the University of Montana, will be collecting donations Nov. 8-22. The battle to see which school and community can collect the most donations for their local food bank is now in its 26th year.

"This is the one competition where everyone wins," said Kim Cleary, community engagement program manager at the MSU Office of Student Engagement, which hosts the event. "Can the Griz is more than a rivalry; it is a reminder and demonstration of what we can accomplish when we come together as a community. Every dollar or can that is donated during this competition directly helps our neighbors in need."

The food drive begins Saturday, Nov. 8, and stops at the end of the first quarter of the annual Brawl of the Wild football game between MSU and UM on Saturday, Nov. 22, in Missoula. The winner will be announced at the game, on the Can the Griz social media accounts and at canthegriz.org.

"It takes a lot of help from the community to pull off this fundraising effort," Cleary said. "From individuals who donate food, funds or their time, to organizations that host food drives or serve as collection sites for the community, every can counts."

How to donate:

• Nonperishable food donations may be taken to any official Can the Griz collection location or to food drives held across the valley between Nov. 8-22. These locations and food drives can be found at canthegriz.org/communitycollectionsites.
• Donations can also be dropped off directly at the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, 206 E. Griffin Dr.,from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 9 a.m. to noon on Fridays.
• Large donation drop-offs are welcome but must be arranged in advance by scheduling a time slot directly with the Gallatin Valley Food Bank on this webpage.
• Monetary donations are also appreciated. Individuals can make monetary donations directly to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank at gallatinvalleyfoodbank.org/donate. Each dollar raised counts as a pound of food toward the competition.

More information on how to donate can be found on the Can the Griz website.

Last year, MSU and Bobcat supporters won the competition, donating the equivalent of 652,876 pounds of food to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank for the community, the result of combining pounds and dollars together for the contest. The Can the Cats food drive in Missoula brought in the equivalent of 649,278 pounds of food for the Missoula Food Bank. Bozeman and the MSU community have won the competition 20 out of the 25 years it has been held.

Donations to Can the Griz help the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, as well as MSU's Bounty of the Bridgers food pantry, year-round. The Gallatin Valley Food Bank is an initiative of the HDRC Food and Nutrition Programs. Bounty of the Bridgers, housed in MSU's Student Wellness Center, is a student-driven initiative to combat food insecurity for students. Donations to Bounty of the Bridgers may be made at msuaf.org/BOB; all donations made to this fund from Nov. 8-22 count toward Can the Griz.

Information on how to participate or volunteer is at canthegriz.org or on Facebook and Instagram @msucanthegriz. For even more information or to host a collection box, contact the MSU Office of Student Engagement at 406-994-2933 or email [email protected].