The Siena Men’s and Women’s Basketball programs doubled the amount of support raised for the Regional Food Bank by collecting non-perishable food items and monetary donations though a pair of annual food drives held earlier this month.
More than 350 pounds of canned goods, non-perishable foods and cash donations combined to provide 2,565 meals to those in need throughout the 23 local and regional counties served by the Regional Food Bank.
“We are thrilled with the support we received from Siena and its enthusiastic fans during our drives this year and thank them for their support,” said Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York Chief Executive Officer Tom Nardacci. “The continued generosity of the Siena Basketball teams and their passionate fans provide a meaningful impact for children, families, and seniors experiencing food insecurity in our community.”
“We are extremely appreciative of our fans for their generous support of this vitally important community initiative,” said Siena College Vice President and Director of Athletics John D’Argenio. “We are honored to play a role in giving back to the residents of the Capital Region by helping to assist in hunger relief efforts throughout Northeastern New York.”
This year’s food drives to benefit the Regional Food Bank were held during the Siena Men’s Basketball contest on Thursday, Jan. 16 at MVP Arena and during the Siena Women’s Basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 18 at the UHY Center. Players and coaches from both teams also volunteered their time at the Regional Food Bank to sort and package perishable food items prior to the pair of food drives.
Both Siena basketball programs are set for exciting action at home this week. Siena Women’s Basketball’s 24th annual Pink Zone contest to support those living with breast cancer will be held at UHY Center on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. against conference rival Marist. Then on Groundhog Day, Siena Men’s Basketball hosts defending MAAC Regular Season Champion Quinnipiac at MVP Arena on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. Tickets for both contests are available at SienaSaints.com/Tickets.
Staff and volunteers from the Regional Food Bank collected enough non-perishable food and monetary donations to serve over 2,500 meals during the Jan. 16 Siena Men’s Basketball and Jan. 18 Siena Women’s Basketball contests at MVP Arena in Albany and at the UHY Center in Loudonville, respectively
The Regional Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting food insecurity in our communities since 1982. The Regional Food Bank collects donated food from the food industry and distributes it to nearly 1,000 charitable agencies feeding the hungry across 23 counties in northeastern New York. The Regional Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, the national network of food banks. For more information on the Regional Food Bank, visit regionalfoodbank.net.