Marshall & UConn Players to Help Provide Meals for Children in Need
Fill the Bowl Event Kicks off Bowl Week
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (December 21, 2015) – The St. Petersburg Bowl team events will kick off just hours after Marshall and UConn arrive in the sunshine state on Tuesday December 22, 2015. Fill the Bowl will be the first event of Bowl week. Fill the Bowl,presented by Achieva Credit Union, is a program that aims to give back to the community and is being conducted in conjunction with Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay and Boys & Girls Clubs of The Suncoast and Feeding America Tampa Bay to provide weekend meals for children in need.
On Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 2 p.m., the players from Marshall and UConn will be joined by participants from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay in the ballroom of the Renaissance Vinoy Resort. Awaiting them will be unsorted food on pallets provided by Feeding America Tampa Bay. The two teams will compete against each other to see which team can pack the most weekend meals for children. The goal is to assemble more than 4,000 food backpacks with enough food in each pack to feed a child over the weekend. Once completed, the food packs will be delivered to Boys and Girls Club locations in the Tampa Bay area where the meals will be given out to those most in need.
Brett Dulaney, Executive Director for the St. Petersburg Bowl, was instrumental in coordinating the event with all the different organizations and sponsors.
“I want to personally thank our presenting sponsor Achieva Credit Union, as well as Feeding America Tampa Bay and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay and The Suncoast for helping us make this event possible,” said Dulaney. “We feel very fortunate to be able to host such a great event that helps our community,”
“We are delighted to partner with ESPN Events and our other Fill the Bowl sponsors to provide food for hungry children in our communities, especially during the holiday season,” said Scott McKim, Chief Lending Officer Achieva Credit Union.
“Parents cannot prioritize preventive measures, like wellness checkups, when their children’s basic need for food, clothing and shelter is not being met,” said Gregg MacDonald, state president, WellCare of Florida. “Our Staywell Health Plan, which serves nearly 500,000 children across the state, is proud to sponsor Fill the Bowl and other programs that help parents to keep their children healthy.”
“Boys & Girls Clubs of The Suncoast is happy to be part of the St. Petersburg Bowl,” said Nita Smith, President/CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of The Suncoast. “We appreciate the generosity of the teams, players, and community in supporting our local Club kids.”
“Too many children in our community are hungry,” added Thomas Mantz, Executive Director of Feeding America Tampa Bay. “One in four (children) wonder where their next meal will come from. We are so grateful to ESPN Events and other sponsors who are joining us to feed the kids in our community who would otherwise go without. The game will be played out on the field, but the children will win.”