Students at Ivey Business School recently donated more than 40,000 non-perishable food items to the London Food Bank, more than doubling last year's contribution in a powerful demonstration of community and competitive spirit.
The Ivey Cup Food Drive is part of the Ivey Cup Challenge events that honours business administration (HBA) students participate in throughout the school year. Started in 1998, the Ivey Cup Challenge pits different HBA class sections against each other in fun activities, such as dodgeball tournaments and scavenger hunts, with the section earning the most points winning the Ivey Cup.
For the food drive event, sections competed to collect the most non-perishable food items over 10 days and each built a sculpture with their products before donating them. Although the volume of donations has increased each year, the 2024 Ivey Cup drive brought in more than double the non-perishable food items collected last year.
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It took two trips on the food bank's moving truck to transport the 21 pallets of items from Ivey with many HBA students helping with the heavy lifting at the storage dock. The donation contributed to the food bank's overall record-breaking Thanksgiving drive, which collected 100,000 pounds of food.
"We had just been informed that the 2024 Thanksgiving Food Drive was down marginally from last year's effort. Then the bay door opened at the food bank, and in came a massive number of donations from Ivey. We quickly realized this would put us over the top - and it did. The next day, another 11 pallets of food came in from Ivey. All of us at the food bank understood that this donation was special," said Glen Pearson, co-executive director of the London Food Bank.
"It helped us exceed last year's total, but more than that, it represented the true spirit of Ivey as we have known it for many years. They came through just when it was needed because that's just what student business leaders do when their services are required. That memory will stay with us long after the food supplies head out the door." - Glen Pearson, co-executive director of the London Food Bank
'Above and beyond'
Second-year HBA student Carson Easy, an Ivey Cup coordinator, said he was humbled by the food drive results and the students' enthusiasm. He was part of the team that led the initiative, alongside Ivey Cup director Will Welikoklad, Ivey Cup coordinator Saylor Sprenger and 10 Ivey Cup vice-presidents.
"I had an incredible experience working with such an efficient and well-organized team, where everyone - from the facilities team to the Ivey Cup representatives - made significant contributions to our cause," he said. "I hope our efforts will help alleviate some of the London community's stress this holiday season."
Sprenger recalls participating in the event last year when students collected 15,000 food items. Although the students entered this year's drive hoping to top that, she said she could never have anticipated the astounding volume of donations.
"The enthusiasm of this year's HBA students truly made all the difference - whether driven by competition or the desire to help, their energy was inspiring," she said. "I'm excited to see what future teams will achieve and feel hopeful for the program's future."
Since the initiative is focused on contributing to the well-being of the broader London, Ont. area, Welikoklad said it helps to foster a selfless and supportive culture within Ivey. The business school's purpose, inspiring leaders for a sustainable and prosperous world, reinforces the important role that individuals and corporations play in caring for society.
"Everyone truly went above and beyond for an initiative that addresses a very real need for many, and I think it says a lot about the kind of people we have at Ivey," he said.
