By Anne Cantrell MSU NEWS SERVICE
BOZEMAN — Montana State University and Gallatin Valley communities donated the equivalent of more than one million pounds of food, a record amount, to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank and MSU’s Bounty of the Bridgers food pantry as part of the 26th annual Can the Griz food drive.
Can the Griz — and the corresponding Can the Cats food drive in Missoula — is an off-field competition between MSU and the University of Montana to see which school can collect the most donations for its local food bank. The competition is held each year as part of the celebration of the Brawl of the Wild football game between the two rival schools.
This year, MSU and Gallatin Valley communities donated 335,189 pounds of food and $683,424, according to Kim Cleary in the MSU Office of Student Engagement, which coordinates Can the Griz. Pounds and dollars are added together for the contest, resulting in a total this year of 1,018,613 pounds donated to Can the Griz. The Can the Cats food drive in Missoula brought in the equivalent of 1,091,754 pounds of food for the Missoula Food Bank, Cleary said.
The previous record at MSU was set in 2021 with the equivalent of 654,126 pounds of food donated. MSU and the Gallatin Valley communities have won the competition 20 out of the 26 years it has been held.
“While we didn’t bring home the title for Can the Griz this year, our community has still won,” Cleary said. “This food drive helps people in our community for months to come, and at a time when many of our neighbors might need extra support, Can the Griz is even more impactful. The efforts that took place across the state are so inspiring, and I am so proud of each community for rallying around their food banks. We are already looking forward to facing off for this cause again next year!”
The donations from Can the Griz will help the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, as well as the Bounty of the Bridgers food pantry, provide food for families in the community through the spring and summer. The Gallatin Valley Food Bank is one of the HRDC Food and Nutrition Programs’ Initiatives. The Bounty of the Bridgers, housed in MSU Student Wellness, is a student-driven initiative to combat food waste and food insecurity on the MSU campus for students, faculty and staff.
