With an undefeated title of three years, Auburn University Beat Bama Food Drive is holding its SEC Food fight this year from April 5 to April 18 for two weeks of competition.
The competition is between every school within the Southeastern Conference, where the universities collect donations for their respective on-campus food pantries. Every dollar or food item is worth one point for the competition. The first official BBFD competition began in 1994, making this the 30th year the organization will hold this event.
Lily Bradford, junior in accounting and business analytics, is the president of Auburn's BBFD branch. She explained the intention behind what they strive to do during the annual competition.
“During the SEC food fight, every donation goes to a food-insecure Auburn student," Bradford said. "The effort is by students, for students.”
As president, Bradford supports every branch of BBFD and steps in wherever needed. Her roles tend to vary, as she is involved in several areas within the organization.
“My role can include collecting donations for a neighborhood drive, getting in a dunk tank for donations, serving as a hostess when our Alabama counterparts come to meet us and being the voice of the organization, communicating our goals and mission to campus and community leaders,” Bradford said.
Held on the concourse with events on Tuesdays and Thursdays, BBFD works to educate students about food insecurities. Over the weekends, BBFD engages with the community to bring in highly requested food items from neighborhood donations and grocery stores.
Eight executive board members, 83 staff members and 111 committee volunteers make the events possible.
Jazlyn Simms, freshman in biomedical sciences, serves as vice president of campus relations and is in charge of concoursing, special events and joint ventures with Greek Life and other student organizations. The campus relations team has 80 members, with an additional 100 members from the spring committee.
While the entire process can be lengthy, Bradford shared her favorite part that makes it worth it.
“Connecting with people and telling them why BBFD matters and what kind of difference we’re making in people’s lives [is my favorite part.] I remember all the BBFD leaders who came before me and poured their time and energy into making me who I am today; I hope to have a similar impact and help all our members feel appreciated and find their passion for BBFD,” Bradford said.
The process to join is up to a committee of volunteers who hold the applications. The staff members go through the interviews, where the executive board selection process is similar to a formal job interview.
When battling the University of Alabama, Bradford said the energy and support is overwhelming, as everyone does what they can to help each other. The reason for their success, she said, comes from the passion of the BBFD members who continue to inspire her.
“Truly everything that we do comes from the Auburn family - the food bank mission statement discusses multiplying the generosity of a caring community, and I am so grateful that the Auburn family believes in the human touch and supports us so well," Bradford said.
Simms explained the process of working with numerous student organizations.
"We will collaborate with Academic Initiatives to identify strategies for increasing student engagement on campus. After that, they will collaborate with recruitment to determine how we might target specific groups of people," Simms said. "Everyone ultimately plays a definite role, yet nobody works by themselves."
Despite the classic rivalry between Auburn and Alabama creating some tension, Bradford explained how it’s easy to stay focused on the task and put her best foot forward.
“They [Alabama] have a strong team. They always put up a good fight and you never quite know what will happen in our matchup," Bradford said. "Regardless of which team wins, the real winners are the people who are fed from this friendly competition.”
For Simms, one of her favorite parts about being a member of the BBFD is the collective excitement and fulfillment each member feels throughout the competition.
"Seeing the events that my team has worked so hard to organize come to life is my favorite part. I adore seeing everyone unite and express such enthusiasm for this cause," Simms said. "Everyone is incredibly enthusiastic; we are all incredibly eager for what lies ahead and are working extremely hard to secure another victory."
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