Height of Hunger

Courtesy Heather MacAdam, The Casket heathermacadam@thecasket.ca

There will be lots of stacking going on in the lobby of the Oland Centre this weekend with varsity athletes looking to raise enough food donations to reach as high as the three tallest X-Men basketball players.

Laura Arsenault, co-ordinator for the student food bank, said the Height of Hunger fundraiser is a new event for St. F.X.

Arsenault said the idea was pitched by Tory Anderson, a member of the women’s varsity basketball team and chair of the school’s athletic council.

“A few years ago some football players did a fundraiser for the student food bank, but they did it with weight,” she said.

Anderson said she wanted a way for some of the student athletes to get involved in collecting donations for the food bank again.

“Basketball players aren’t known for our weight but more for our height,” she said. “I had the idea of trying to stack up food as tall as the tallest basketball players.”

The goal of the event will be to stack food as high as Riiny Ngot (7’2”), Rodrigo Madera (6’10”) and Alberto Rod-riguez (6’9”).

“I asked Laura what she thought and she thought it was a good idea,” Anderson said. “So we decided to run with it.”

Height of Hunger will take place when the men’s and women’s teams each take on University of New Brunswick and University of Prince Edward Island.

“[We will] be collecting food donations in the lobby of the OC,” Anderson said.

Anderson said there will be cut-outs of the players in the lobby and the food will be stacked as the donations roll in.

“People will be able to see the progress,” she said.

Arsenault said she hopes the event is successful, adding community members are very supportive.

“It’ll bring people to the games and contribute to the cause of food insecurity on campus. Collaborating the two is beneficial for both.”

During the months of March and April, students are often struggling, Arsenault said.

“It’s almost the end of the year, student loans are running out and money is harder to come by,” she said. “We do get busier during this time and it is hard to keep the food bank stocked. I think this is a really good thing.”

The X-Women will take the court against UNB Friday at 6 p.m. followed by the X-Men at 8 p.m.

Saturday will see the X-Women back in action against UPEI at 2 p.m. with the X-Men taking the court at 4 p.m.