Poetry students support food drive with “A Night of Verse”

Bring a donation of non-perishable food or cash to the event this Thursday at Cook Memorial Library. Readings begin at 7 p.m.

March 11, 2013
LA GRANDE, Ore. (EOU) - An opportunity to hear original works by EOU poetry students while supporting a good cause is coming up Thursday, March 14 at Cook Memorial Library.

The student-readings are the cornerstone of “A Night of Verse” fundraiser being organized by Professor David Axelrod’s introduction to poetry class. Admission is a donation of non-perishable food or cash to be collected at the door for the university’s ongoing food drive. The event starts at 7 p.m.

Axelrod, who is involved with bringing the arts to Union County and EOU through the Ars Poetica Lecture Series and “basalt” magazine, has incorporated into his curriculum the opportunity for students to gain experience in arts administration. Students have named themselves “Hungry Poets” for the event and they hope to bring in many donations.

“This is a charitable event, and the students of EOU are performing both a civic and artistic responsibility,” Axelrod said. “The class as a group wants to make an effort to help out the community.”

For more information contact Axelrod at 541-963-9178.

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Food Drive Sets Record

CHENEY, Wash. - The 5th annual Eastern Washington University community food drive generated more than three tons of food (6,236 lbs.) and $18,241.22 for area food banks and outreach programs.

Cash donations this year easily surpassed last year's total of $13,684.00. This year, six different university teams competed to see who could collect the most food, raise the most money from a campus bake sale and collect the most back packs filled with school supplies.

"Each year I wonder if we are going to achieve the numbers we did the year before," said Nadine Arévalo, co-chair of the food drive. "Each year I am blown away by the hard work of each university team to make it a record year. As Harry Truman said, 'it is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.'"

Of the total cash donations, almost $8,200 will go to the Cheney Food Bank, and along with the food donations, will go a long way toward stocking the shelves to meet the high demand.

Another $5,184 will go to the backpack for food program for Communities in Schools of Spokane County. This money will provide 32 children with a weekend backpack filled with food, and is part of a nationwide effort to reduce the dropout rate and help kids in need.

Donations generated during the food drive will also benefit 2nd Harvest Inland Northwest, the Feed Cheney Program and Cheney Outreach - which will receive 75 backpacks filled with school supplies for children this fall.

Over the past five years, the EWU food drive has raised a total of $57,083 and more than 14 tons of food.

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