UIS kicks off Holiday Stars Project with Trick or Treat for Canned Goods

WHAT: University of Illinois Springfield students will be going door-to-door on Halloween night collecting canned goods for the Central Illinois Foodbank. The annual competition between students kicks off the UIS Holiday Stars Project, a month-long collection initiative on campus.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 from 4:30 to 8 p.m.

WHERE: Various Springfield & Chatham neighborhoods

DETAILS: The UIS Holiday Stars Project, coordinated by the UIS Volunteer & Civic Engagement Center, is a campus-wide service initiative giving focus to UIS’ efforts to make a difference in the local community during the upcoming holiday season. The overall goal is to collect more than 8,000 pounds of food for the Central Illinois Foodbank by December.

The 14 teams, consisting of over 150 students, that have registered for the Trick or Treat for Canned Goods drive have been assigned to neighborhoods where they will collect non-perishable food items. Earlier this month, the teams canvassed the neighborhoods and distributed door hangers that explained the project. Collected items will be returned and weighed on campus and prizes will be awarded to teams that collect the most food.

The Holiday Stars Project continues through November, when specially marked collection bins will be placed around UIS. Everything collected during the project will be presented to the Foodbank in early December.

The Central Illinois Foodbank distributes over 8 million pounds of food annually to over 150 food pantries, soup kitchens, residential programs and after-school programs in a 21 county region.

For more information on the UIS Holiday Stars Project, contact Mark Dochterman, director of the UIS Volunteer & Civic Engagement Center, at 217/206-8448, or go to www.uis.edu/holidaystars.