Athletes pack over 100,000 meals

The St. John’s Athletic Department held a community service event for Kids Fighting Hunger. Members of various St. John’s and St. Ben’s athletic teams, as well as members of the SJU Senate and faulty, came together to pack meals for the organization on March 27.

This event was the sixth annual SJU service project. They hoped to package 100,000 meals from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm­ —just over three hours.

The meals would then be sent to Ghana, Africa, and be distributed over ten villages, serving just over 3,600 people. Other meals will also be distributed locally to those in need.

In both 2018 and 2019, the Johnnies were able to pack 100,000 meals with 400-500 people in attendance.

Both years also raised $15,000 and $16,000, respectively. There were not any packing events held at SJU during 2020 or 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

This year, the Johnnies raised a record amount of money, coming in at $19,000—$3,000 more than the last event. The Johnnies also were able to pack over 100,000 meals with well over 300 participants in attendance, according to SJU athletic director Bob Alpers. Participants each worked at least one shift of meal packing which lasted an hour and a half.

“I’m just so proud of our SAAC leadership, our athletes and coaches and everyone who helped out,” Alpers said.

The Kids Fighting Hunger organization looks to engage the larger central Minnesota area through education, volunteerism and community partnerships, to provide temporary hunger relief, according to their website.

“Our partnership with Kids Fighting Hunger allows us to assist them in their mission of sending meals abroad, while they assist us in providing some of the packed meals to those in our local community who are in need,” said Drew Engel, SAAC president and SJU senior.

Engel is also one of the only SAAC representatives who had participated in this event before.

He said he has grown from being a first-year student simply participating in the packing, to now, where he has had a major role in organizing and recruiting for the event.

Additionally, Engel said that the event sees more and more participants from the CSB/SJU community each year.

Citing the Benedictine values of servitude and community, Engel feels that our institutions can benefit from service opportunities like this.

“It shows that Johnnies can make a positive impact now. Often, we focus on what we can do in the future, but this event shows that as college students we can work together to create a positive impact on those around us, no matter how large or small,” Engel said.

St. Ben’s track and field standout and ROTC member Tiana Johnson attended the event and thoroughly enjoyed being able to serve her community in the presence of her peers and teammates.

“The volunteer opportunity was so eye-opening, first to be able to look around at a gym full of Bennies, Johnnies, parents, staff, faculty and see us all come together for a common good. Secondly, the organization [Kids Fighting Hunger] is so incredibly fantastic. The men and women who are part of that organization are real-life superheroes,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s job at the event was to seal the package after the food, such as dried rice and spices, had been placed in the bag.

Overall, she left the event feeling thankful for the opportunity to volunteer for Kids Fighting Hunger this weekend.

“[I’m] grateful that I wake up every morning and there is food for me to eat. Not everyone in the world has that luxury… As a community of athletes who can give back to those less fortunate than us, it is so important that we do. We are leaders, and it is so vital that we play a role in making the world a better place, however large or small it is,” Johnson said.