Virginia Tech’s own Marching Virginians organizes their 15th annual Hokies for the Hungry Food Drive for this year’s home Thursday night football game versus the University of North Carolina Tar Heels at Lane Stadium on Nov. 17.

The Marching Virginians ensemble, known as “The Spirit of Tech,” leads Hokie fans in “Tech Triumph,” the Virginia Tech fight song, and a variety of other celebrations during football games in Lane Stadium. Founded in 1974, the marching band has performed for hundreds of nationally televised football games and parades.

This year, the Marching Virginians joined forces with the New Life Christian Fellowship in Blacksburg, to sponsor the event. The goal for this year is to receive 66,223 cans – one can from every fan.

There will be four drop points located at each corner of the stadium for donated items.

The food drive will benefit the area non-profit Montgomery County Christmas Store, which helps low-income families with food, clothing, and toys.

Last year, the group rose over $7,000 and collected over 6,000 cans.

Hokies wide receiver Danny Coale of Lexington, Va., who received a degree in finance from the Pamplin College of Business in December 2010, and is also a senior pursuing a second undergraduate degree in marketing management, is the honorary chairman this year.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.

Written by Tim Sweet of Newtown, Pa., a senior majoring in communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

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