Nixa won the football game and the food drive on Friday night, but some of Christian County’s most vulnerable residents will get a hand up in the aftermath of the Backyard Brawl.
The Can the Eagles/Can the Tigers dueling food drives were created 15 years ago to serve as a community service project. the event has grown into a community-based celebration in conjunction with what is annually the largest football game in Christian County, the Backyard Brawl.
Christian County residents gave the equivalent of 93,427 pounds of food to Least Of These. Nixa ran away with the food drive in the end, giving 67,186 pounds, while Ozark Tigers fans gave 26,241 pounds.
“The Can the Tigers / Can the Eagles event is amazing because what started as a football rivalry has turned into two communities coming together for their hungry neighbors in need,” said Kristy Carter, Executive Director of Least Of These. “This event encourages Nixa and Ozark residents of all ages to participate while helping to meet the needs right here in our backyards.”
Least Of These, Inc. collects donations during the week of the Backyard Brawl and tracks them to see which school district (Nixa or Ozark) collects the most food, by weight or by financial equivalent, to "Can" the other school district. Least Of These also calculates $1 donated equating to 5 pounds of food.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Least Of These encourages donors to make monetary donations online to help their school district of choice, Ozark or Nixa. For every dollar donated,
This year with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are encouraging donors to make an online monetary donation to help their school district. With every dollar donated, Least Of These can purchase $10 worth of food from its partner organizations.
Nixa won the food drive, but the real winner is Least Of These, Inc. and the families the food pantry serves.
According to Feeding America, the food insecurity rate in Christian County has increased from 8-11.5 percent. That means 10,217 Christian County residents don’t know where their next meal will come from on a regular basis. The need for food assistance among Christian County residents is still very relevant to the economic impact of COVID-19, as many families work to get back on their feet from experiencing job loss, layoff, or changes to their incomes.
Least Of These, Inc., relies solely on donations from the public. If you would like to donate to Least Of These, visit the food pantry's website at http://www.leastofthesefoodpantry.org/donate. If you would like to donate food, Least Of These receives food donations on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Christian County residents who are in need of food assistance should complete a client application online at http://www.leastofthesefoodpantry.org. Once the application is completed, a volunteer will contact them to set up an appointment to pick up their food during one of the pantry's monthly food distribution dates.
