'Lion Up for Hunger' event aims to 'Fill the Truck' with needed donations

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — The Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association is hosting a one-day food drive on Thursday, March 29, where members of the local community are invited to join students, faculty, staff and alumni as they try to "Fill the Truck" with food donations benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania.

The Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association is competing against local alumni clubs in raising the largest amount of donations for Second Harvest Food Bank.

This event is open to the public. The first 200 donors will receive a free reusable tote bag sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association. A drive-through donation station will be available through the campus parking lot, open from 8 to 9 a.m., noon to 1 p.m., and 5 to 6 p.m. This will enable people to remain in their cars as faculty, staff, students and alumni volunteers unload the donations. Donations will also be accepted all day at the Penn State Lehigh Valley building entrance until 6 p.m.

Suggested items include: jelly (plastic containers only), tuna, canned pasta, Tuna Helper, Hamburger Helper and cereal.

In addition to dropping off donations at the Lehigh Valley campus, monetary donations can be made online through the Second Harvest website. Designate your donation to the Lehigh Valley Alumni Food Challenge at the bottom of the donation page using the drop-down menu, and dedicate the monetary donation by typing in Penn State. Every one dollar donated counts for nine pounds of food for the alumni cause.

"We hope people consider coming out to support Second Harvest Food Bank and help the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association win the Food Drive Challenge!" said Diane McAloon, alumni relations coordinator at Penn State Lehigh Valley.