Thursday, August 27, 2009

Rivals become allies as the University of North Carolina Wilmington joins forces with UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State and East Carolina University to package one million meals for the hunger relief organization, Stop Hunger Now. UNC Wilmington students, faculty, staff and community volunteers will work together from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at Trask Coliseum to package 100,000 meals as part of this year’s “University Million Meal Week.”

The Stop Hunger Now project is coordinated by the UNCW Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. "We are excited to be a part of this event for the second straight year," said Rodney Young, academic coordinator for UNCW Athletics. "This has been a wonderful experience for our student-athletes."

Based on early sign-up sheets, coordinators are expecting approximately 450 volunteers to assist in the effort. Volunteers will be packaging the boxed meals in an assembly line fashion during three shifts, 9 a.m. to noon, noon to 3 p.m., and 3 to 6 p.m.

Meals packaged at this Saturday’s event will be distributed to school children in Haiti, Kenya and Nicaragua. In an attempt to end world hunger, Stop Hunger Now partners with school feeding programs to distribute the meals. Every day, 25,000 people die from hunger and related causes; this meal packaging initiative will distribute one million meals, which may feed as many as 6 million people. Stop Hunger Now’s highly nutritious meals include rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and a vitamin-fortified flavoring mix with 21 essential vitamins and minerals.

Since UNCW alumnus Ray Buchanan established Stop Hunger Now in 1998, the organization has provided more than $56 million in direct aid and 15 million meals to more than 70 countries worldwide. Its mission is to provide food and life-saving aid to the world’s most destitute and hungry in the most efficient, effective and sustainable manner. Their highly nutritious, dehydrated meals are distributed in crisis situations and through school feeding programs in developing nations.

Media are invited to cover this event. Photo and video opportunities include volunteers staging food for packaging, packaging food into meals, packing meals for loading, and loading meals for shipping. University staff from Athletics as well as student coordinators and volunteers will be available for interviews.

Media Contacts:
Thursday and Friday: Dana Fischetti, media relations manager, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu

Saturday, day of event: Joe Browning, senior associate athletic director, cell # 910.352.0628