After NC State claimed victory in a high-profile annual fundraiser three years in a row, the Office of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving and Feed the Pack Food Pantry are looking back at the Pack’s history of success and dreaming big for what this year could mean for the community.

The fifth edition of the Pantry Bowl is taking place Nov. 3-30. The Pantry Bowl is an annual friendly competition between NC State’s Feed the Pack Food Pantry and UNC-Chapel Hill’s Carolina Cupboard, with the two rivals striving to see which can receive the most financial gifts to their respective on-campus food pantries.

Pantry Bowl happens in November to rally support around the time of two important events: the Thanksgiving holiday and the Tar Heels vs. Wolfpack football game.

Though the two schools definitely lean into the competition, at the end of the day both have the same goal: tackling food insecurity. The competition is hosted by NC State’s annual giving team, and the idea came about because of a university report on food and housing insecurity.

“The findings were hard to ignore for the team,” said Adam Compton ’09, executive director of annual giving. “We knew students were facing challenges, but seeing the numbers laid out in such a clear way made it real. With the energy and reach of the football rivalry, we wanted to use our platform to shine a light on this issue and raise support for the students who need it most.”

And Pantry Bowl did just that. In its first year, the competition brought in over $90,000 total for the food pantries. And participation continued to increase, with 2023 being the biggest Pantry Bowl — the Wolfpack alone received over 1,600 gifts throughout that year’s competition, thanks to a challenge match gift by alumni TJ (’99) and Erin Trantham (’98).

“We have seen how even small gifts can help keep the shelves stocked, provide access to fresh food and reduce students’ stress when unsure about basic needs,” said Compton.

And Stevie Kimmet, Pack Essentials program director, says that Pantry Bowl is one of the pantry’s biggest fundraising events of the year.

“Last year, Feed the Pack spent just over $108,000 on food alone, and the Pantry Bowl raised approximately $94,000 of that,” she said.

Visits to the food pantry increased by 41% last academic year, demonstrating that the need on campus continues to grow. Kimmet’s team hopes to increase their food budget through Pantry Bowl support, and that means having the biggest Pantry Bowl yet.

“We know that patrons rely on Feed the Pack for a wide range of necessities,” said Kimmet. “The Pantry Bowl will help us continue to provide a diverse range of healthy products to our campus community.”

Graduate student Alyssa Griffin is Feed the Pack’s pantry manager, collaborating with nonprofit partners like InterFaith Food Shuttle and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, hiring and training shift leaders and so much more. She has pretty much done it all at Feed the Pack, and she has seen the impact Pantry Bowl continues to make.

“We are largely donation-based, so receiving monetary donations helps us purchase items that are not regularly donated to us, such as fresh produce,” said Griffin. “We purchase about $2,000 worth of produce and perishable items that over 400 weekly patrons will have access to. Your support helps us maintain and grow that level of spending, so we can help distribute more nutritious food to our students.”

This year’s Pantry Bowl will run for nearly a full month, compared to one week in previous years. The longer time frame is designed to help get the competition out in front of more alumni and friends who don’t know about Pantry Bowl, increasing support to reach Feed the Pack’s goal.

“One thing I know about the NC State community is that every time we share a clear case for supporting our students, they rise to the challenge,” said Compton. “That is why we have won the Pantry Bowl the past three years. It is a testament to how deeply our community cares and how ready they are to step up when it matters.”

Dedicated NC State donors Susan and Perry Safran are challenging the Wolfpack community: If the Pack can surpass last year’s gift total and make at least 1,521 gifts before Nov. 30, the Safran family will provide an additional $10,000 gift toward the Pantry Bowl and Feed the Pack.

“It is a testament to how deeply our community cares and how ready they are to step up when it matters.”

“It’s a rare competition in the sense that everyone wins,” said Kimmet. “UNC’s and NC State’s pantries both receive an amazing influx of resources to support our student communities at a critical time of year. For donors, this is an opportunity to support their favorite team and a critical issue facing our students.”

Want to help Feed the Pack Food Pantry bring home a fourth win? Make your gift (or gifts!) from Nov. 3-30, and don’t forget to share about the competition with your friends and family.