VESTAL, N.Y. - The  America East Food Frenzy (#AEFoodFrenzy) initiative is an America East conference-wide community service initiative organized by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at each of the 9-member institutions.  Each school affiliated with America East takes part in the competition by collecting as many canned food and pantry items as possible. Through the America East Conference, which promotes community involvement and leadership, student-athletes are encouraged to gather these items in order to give back to the community.  This year, the America East schools had over 20,000 items donated to their local community's needs.

This fall, the Binghamton University Division of Athletics donated over 700 non-perishable items to the Binghamton University Food Pantry on campus.  Leading the efforts was Binghamton's SAAC.
 
The Binghamton University Food Pantry is a member of the Food Bank of the Southern Tier and CHOW (Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse).  They are a temporary, judgment-free place for students facing hard times, such as running short of money for the month or other emergency situations.
 
"It is really rewarding to see that we, as student athletes, can come together during a difficult time of year for many, and try to make a positive impact in their lives." Said Erin Waters, SAAC e-board member and women's track and field student-athlete.

"Student-athletes are constantly confronted with the importance of comprehensive nutrition. They need to stay on top of it to perform competitively on the field and in class. It's a daily struggle for any athlete and the difficulty is compounded as a college student. They understand the mission." Said the staff at the Binghamton University Food Pantry.  "The Binghamton University Food Pantry was so grateful to receive the SAAC's donation last week on Friday, Dec. 6. Together, the SAAC donated over 700 individual items, amounting to just under 1,000 pounds of food and thousands of dollars in groceries. This donation will help the Food Pantry continue to provide nutrition to students, faculty and staff that are in need through winter break and the start of the 2025 spring semester. It is always inspiring to see how our students provide for their own community with such significant impact."
 
An America East SAAC initiative, the #AEFoodFrenzy started in 2015 as a conference-wide community service initiative designed to promote cohesion between America East's member institutions while also providing significant donations to several charities in campus communities.
 
The #AEFoodFrenzy is one of the many America East programs under the conference's #3Pillars "leadership" umbrella aimed at making a difference for conference stakeholders, on league campuses and within their communities. Other initiatives include the conference's diversity and inclusion initiative, #SpreadRespect, SAAC's mental health campaign, #AEBetterTogether, the America East Alumni Network and Health & Safety Summit and the #3Pillars Academy which focuses on providing professional development opportunities to America East constituents through its digital series and in-person programming.