By Jeff Nelson, Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK – Penn State Athletics is teaming with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank to conduct a canned food drive in the lead up to the Indiana football game.
Centre County residents, Penn State students, staff and fans are encouraged to Stuff a Blue Bus, starting Monday, Nov. 12, and throughout the week leading up to the Nov. 17 home game with the Hoosiers. A Penn State blue bus, similar to the ones that transport Coach Bill O’Brien’s team to Beaver Stadium on gameday, will be parked in front of the Bryce Jordan Center from Nov. 12 to 16 to accept canned goods.
The goal of Stuff a Blue Bus is to collect enough cans to fill the bus. Approximately 1.2 million Pennsylvanians are at risk of going hungry. Stuff a Blue Bus is sponsored by the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Weis Markets, PepsiCo, Penn State Athletics and the Nittany Lion football coaches’ wives.
The bus will be parked outside the Bryce Jordan Center from 6 a.m. to 8 pm. Nov. 12 and Nov. 14 to 16, and from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 13.
On Nov. 17, fans attending the noon Big Ten Leaders Division game against Indiana can drop off canned goods prior to entering Beaver Stadium at the following locations:
— Bryce Jordan Center Gate B
— Bryce Jordan Center Founder’s entrance
— Medlar Field at Lubrano Park
— Jeffrey Field
— Central Pa. Convention and Visitors Bureau, at the corner of Park Avenue and Porter Road, across the street from Beaver Stadium.
Beaver Stadium parking lots will open at 7 a.m. for the Indiana game.
Canned goods also will be accepted at these athletic events from Nov. 9 to 18:
— 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, men’s basketball vs. St. Francis (Pa.)
— 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10, men’s hockey vs. Air Force
— 7 p.m. Nov. 16, wrestling vs. Lehigh
— 2 p.m. Nov. 18, women’s basketball vs. Lafayette
There also are Central Pennsylvania Food Bank barrels at Weis Markets in central Pennsylvania.