Before Alamo Bowl, foes teaming up to fight hunger

The University of Oklahoma will face the University of Oregon on Wednesday night at the 29th annual Valero Alamo Bowl. It’s an exciting moment for both college football teams, the culmination of a season’s worth of victories. But before either team enters the Alamodome, students, alumni and fans will engage in an unusual pregame ritual: helping San Antonio Food Bank staff fight hunger.

A hundred volunteers will assemble boxes of food from 9-11 a.m. at the food bank’s Enrique M. Barrera Parkway headquarters, according to Michael Guerra, the food bank’s chief resource officer. The volunteers will include the “Pride of Oklahoma” pep band, members of the Oregon cheer team and marching band and even the Oregon Duck.

“Marquee matchups in sports that give back and serve as a part of their commitment to a host city have a public platform to highlight local community issues” such as poverty, homelessness and, of course, hunger, Guerra said. “We are proud that the Alamo Bowl teams in 2021 have chosen to raise their voice and to give back through volunteerism.”

Like the universities, the Alamo Bowl itself also will be working to reduce food insecurity in San Antonio. The Alamo Bowl has supplied the food bank with nearly 500 tickets to the 8:15 p.m. game, according to a news release. In exchange for donating either 30 nonperishable or in-demand food items or $30, community members can walk away with a ticket to one of the year’s most highly anticipated sporting events. Indemand food items, meaning those featured on the food bank’s “12 Most Wanted” list, include rice, soup, beans, tuna, chili, cereal, peanut butter, and macaroni and cheese.

Known as “Fill the Bowl,” the fundraiser is in its 10th year, according to Guerra. It will begin at 9 a.m. in the food bank’s main lobby and end at 2 p.m. or when tickets run out.

The food bank has limited the number of tickets per individual to six.

Currently, Ticketmaster is selling tickets starting at $50, $20 more than the food bank charges.