For the fourth consecutive year, the University looks to defeat Auburn with the Beat Auburn, Beat Hunger food drive.

The annual event starts today from 11 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ferguson Student Center Plaza.

“Monday is the first day people can donate food,” said Rob Maxwell, a senior majoring in economics and finance and co-director of the Beat Auburn, Beat Hunger Food Drive. “We want to start raising awareness, get people on board and start creating some excitement.”

At the Plaza, there will be different opportunities for students to start getting involved with the food drive.

According to officers, there will be TCBY, pizza, cookies from Lenny’s and drinks, along with other entertaining aspects.

“We’re going to have Big Al and 95.3 The Bear radio station,” said Charlotte Brown, a junior majoring in marketing and co-director of the drive. “The brothers of Omega Psi Phi will also be presenting a step show preview.”

Supporters of the food drive will have the opportunity of pie-ing fellow students, faculty and staff.

“We took faculty, staff and students from a bunch of different organizations [to be contestants],” Maxwell said. “Whoever raises the most money will take a pie to the face and whoever donates the most money will get to throw the pie.”

Helping with the event are a number of different volunteers from different organizations, Brown said.

“We have volunteers from the entire student body,” Brown said. “Freshman Forum provided us with a lot of volunteers. There was a great response from different organizations that told us they wanted to get involved.”

In the coming weeks, the Beat Auburn, Beat Hunger initiative will consist of more activities.

“We will be collecting donations at different sporting events,” Brown said. “Part of the choreography contest proceeds will go to the West Alabama Food Bank. The SGA is sponsoring the can formation event.”

Brown said there are other events that are being planned, including a “Can or Treat” later in October.

However, today marks the beginning, and Brown and Maxwell have confidence that Alabama will once again knock off Auburn.

“I want to start seeing some cans,” Maxwell said. “I want people to get excited and realize it’s that time of year again and become aware about hunger here in West Alabama. I want people to get involved, have fun and get ready for the next six weeks.”

“I hope we will have hundreds [of students] donate at least one dollar to kick it off,” Brown said. “I want to encourage students to get involved for the entire drive. Hopefully, we will get [the food drive] kicked off right and beat Auburn.”

Beat Auburn, Beat Hunger is sponsored by the Community Service Center in conjunction with the West Alabama Food Bank.  The two organizations have been participating in the event since 1994.  Everything that is collected during Beat Auburn, Beat Hunger will go to the food bank.

As listed on the official event website, there are nearly 214,200 households in Alabama that are food insecure. Competing against the University and the West Alabama Food Bank are Auburn University and the East Alabama Food Bank to help fight hunger in Alabama. The winner will be announced Nov. 22 at the Iron Bowl game.

For more information about Beat Auburn, Beat Hunger or to get involved visit beatauburnbeathunger.ua.edu or join the Facebook group.