PITMAN—The New Jersey Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) collected a record total of 11,774 cans of food for individuals in need during its fourth annual “Cans Across the Conference” initiative. All of the food items that were collected by the 10 league athletic programs were donated to various food banks and charities throughout the State of New Jersey.

The 2012-13 initiative saw an increase in the total amount of cans collected for the fourth consecutive year, surpassing previous cumulative collection totals of 9,192 in 2011-12; 6,517 in 2010-11; and 3,126 in 2009-10. In the four years that the NJAC Conference SAAC has established the initiate as its signature community service event, the NJAC “Cans Across the Conference” initiative has resulted in the 10 NJAC athletic programs collectively collecting and donating a total of 30,609 cans of food to various food banks in New Jersey.

"Every year the community supports our schools and our student-athletes,” said NJAC SAAC President Stephanie Darrow, a senior softball player from Richard Stockton College. The ‘Cans Across the Conference’ initiative is a great way to show our appreciation to our community and to help support those surrounding areas like they have supported us.”

All 10 NJAC institutions participated in the initiative, with each league school collecting an average of just under 1,200 cans per athletic program. For the fourth consecutive year, Rowan University led the way by collecting a league-high 5,267 cans. Rowan’s institutional total shattered the previous school-record mark of 2,758 cans collected and donated by the Profs during the 2011-12 initiative.

“I can’t say enough about the dedication, hard work, and commitment to serving others that our NJAC SAAC continues to demonstrate through this initiative each year,” said NJAC Commissioner Terry Small. “What started out as a simple idea by our former NJAC SAAC President Brittany Petrella and Rowan Assistant Athletic Director Erin Barney, has resulted in an annual tradition that truly helps people in our communities that have real needs.” 

The New Jersey Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is a 20-member board comprised of two student-athlete representatives from each league institution.

This year’s institutional collections were donated to the following charitable organizations:

Kean University – Community Food Bank of New Jersey (Hillside, NJ)
Montclair State University – New Hope Baptist Church Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund (New Hope, NJ)
New Jersey City University – Old Bergen Church Food Pantry (Jersey City, NJ)
Ramapo College – Center for Food Action (Mahwah, NJ)
Richard Stockton College – United Aid Foundation (Atlantic City, NJ)
Rowan University—South Jersey Food Bank (Pennsauken, NJ)
Rutgers University-Camden – South Jersey Food Bank (Pennsauken, NJ)
Rutgers-Newark—Apostle’s House (Newark, NJ)
The College of New Jersey—Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (Trenton, NJ)
William Paterson University—Oasis House (Paterson, NJ)