For nearly 175 years, Queen’s students have supported each other, engendering a community where their peers can thrive and flourish.

The Queen’s University Alumni Association (QUAA) Kingston Branch will help advance that enduring tradition as it celebrates the university’s 175th anniversary in 2016-17.

“The new mandate of the branch is to support students,” says Lee Wetherall (Ed’76), President, QUAA Kingston Branch. “We thought organizing a food drive for the AMS Food Bank would be a great way to do that, while also contributing to the 175th anniversary celebrations.”

At all its events in 2016-17, the branch will ask attendees to donate a specific non-perishable food item. The goal is to collect 175 units of the specific item. If, by chance, the goal is not reached, the alumni branch has committed to make up the difference.

Devin Cleary, AMS Food Bank Director for 2015-16, is grateful to the branch for its generosity. Located in MacGillivray-Brown Hall, the food bank has identified several items it struggles to keep on its shelves. The Kingston Branch will select one for each of its events.

“We currently serve 20-25 students per week in a confidential, non-judgemental, comfortable environment,” says Ms. Cleary, Artsci’16. “As food prices continue to rise, we expect more students will require our service in the future; therefore, community support from groups such as the QUAA Kingston Branch is vital.”

The QUAA Kingston Branch’s first food drive event was a resounding success, with 175 cans of tuna collected at its March 1 trivia night.

The QUAA Kingston Branch is asking attendees to donate granola bars at this weekend’s Alumni Volunteer Summit and to bring boxes of cereal to the Cha Gheill Luncheon featuring guest speaker John Smol on April 11. If you are not going to these events but you still want to donate, you can send an email to kingston.branch@tricolour.queensu.ca.