By Jane Mo

 

The University of Georgia celebrates this week with free t-shirts and parties to remember the signing of the UGA’s charter.

The UGA Alumni Association is celebrating today a bit differently from the typical “Tradition Tuesday,” which is taking pictures with the Abraham Baldwin statue on North campus.

People have been donating canned food at Tate Plaza for the Let All the Big Dawgs Eat Food scholarship. According to UGA Student Affairs, in Spring 2015, 275 students applied for the scholarship without virtually any prior advertising.

Victoria Williams, a volunteer for today’s event talked about the purpose of the “Founders Day of Giving.”

“We want people to know that the scholarship is going on but also we want others to know that even though we’re students here at UGA, there are some of us that aren’t as fortunate as others and just by taking a step where we all give a little bit, we can inspire a really great effort that piles up to a lot,” Victoria said.

“This year my financial aid has been cut to where I can just cover tuition and housing. I am struggling to eat and buy school supplies. Without access to proper nutrition and due to the additional stress, my health has suffered- but I am determined to get myself through school and I only have two semesters left.”

This is one of the many anonymous quotes plastered on the flyers that show how real student hunger is at UGA.

Volunteers of Founders day are collecting the canned goods for the student food pantry, where students can have access to free and healthy food.

“There’s the student food bank, which sadly there are a lot of students that benefit from it, and it’s great that it’s going on, but I don’t think people realize the magnitude of students that are benefiting from it,” Victoria said.

To donate now, visit http://tate.uga.edu