The kick-off for Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive began Monday at the Ferguson Center Plaza and will continue until Nov. 22.

The Beat Auburn Beat Hunger competition, in which the two rival schools see who can donate the most food to their respective food banks, began in 1994.

The University of Alabama donates to the West Alabama Food Bank and Auburn University donates to the East Alabama Food Bank. The event is sponsored by the Community Service Center at the University of Alabama.

“It’s beneficial to have something between such rivals for a good cause,” said Riley Frances Boone, a junior majoring in photography and interior design.

While sampling some of Tuscaloosa’s local vendors, such as Snappy Tomato and TCBY, students, faculty and staff were able to donate money toward the person they would like to see take a pie to the face. The run-off was between student leaders and faculty and staff. The person with the most money gets pied. Monetary donations are accepted through cash, Bama Cash and text message this year.

Shane Sharpe, dean of the Honors College, and Richard Cockrum, a senior majoring in biochemistry and the SOURCE director of organizational leadership, received the most donations and will be pied in the face today at noon in the Ferguson Center Plaza.

Some of the other participants in the pie-to-face competition included SGA President James Fowler, College Republicans President CadeAnn Smith and College Democrats President Michael Patrick. Faculty and staff included Ken Ozzello, director of the Million Dollar Band, Hank Lazer, director of Creative Campus, and Mark Nelson, the University’s vice president of Student Affairs.

According to Wahnee Sherman, director of the Community Service Center, the money donated to each participant converts into food towards the West Alabama Food Bank.

Student organizations are also welcome to participate. There will be awards for the largest donation. They will also participate in a “can structure” with the donated cans as a part of Homecoming, Sherman said.

The University of Alabama has beaten Auburn for the past three years of the food drive with 174,000 pounds of food in 2009, Sherman said.

The West Alabama Food Bank in Tuscaloosa serves nine counties in the state.

“They are some of the poorest counties in Alabama,” said Rob Maxwell, co-director of Beat Auburn Beat Hunger.

“We are helping the University give back to the community,” he added.

The food bank is accepting non-perishable food items, as well as rice, packaged noodles and bottled water. There are red barrels around campus to place your donated goods.

Alabama has one of the highest poverty rates in the country, and many Alabamians have limited access to food, according to the West Alabama Food Bank website.

Text “BAMA” to 27722 and reply “Yes” to send a $10 donation. You are also able to make a donation at any Bama Dining cash register.