UIS students collect over 11,000 pounds of food for the Central Illinois Foodbank on Halloween night

Almost 200 University of Illinois Springfield students helped to collect a record 11,620 pounds of food for the Central Illinois Foodbank on Halloween night. The total breaks a previous Trick or Treat for Canned Goods record of 11,147 pounds of food collected in 2013.

Teams of students went door-to-door in several Springfield neighborhoods collecting the canned goods. Earlier this month, the teams canvassed the neighborhoods and distributed door hangers that explained the project.

Collected items were returned and weighed on campus. Prizes were awarded to the teams that collected the most food.

“Team UnNamed” won the overall prize by collecting 1,928 pounds of food. The Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity chapter at UIS won the most pounds per team member award by gathering 836 pounds of food with only seven team members.

The Central Illinois Foodbank distributes over 8.5 million pounds of food annually to more than 150 food pantries, soup kitchens, residential programs and after-school programs in a 21 county region.

For more information, or if you have food that was not collected, please contact the UIS Volunteer Center at 217/206-7716 or volunteer@uis.edu.