Before BYU’s football team takes on the University of Colorado on Saturday, Dec. 28 in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, tailgating fans will have an opportunity to serve those in need through a donation drive — just as before every road football game in the 2024 season.
This year — the football team’s second in the Big 12 conference— saw BYU go undefeated deep into the season 40 years after winning the national championship, before going into the bowl game with a 10-2 record.
Fans and alumni are invited to bring diapers and new underwear for men, women and children to donate to Haven for Hope, an organization that provides “impactful care” for people experiencing homelessness in the San Antonio community. Fans can also donate through the Amazon Wish List.
The service project caps a season of service for BYU — at each road game, local BYU alumni chapters have organized Cougs Care pregame tailgate events featuring service projects for local nonprofit organizations. This is the third year in a row for the tradition.
The Cougs Care service projects have strengthened relationships and supported communities across the United States. And BYU alumni have had the chance to share the light of Jesus Christ through service.
“[At the tailgates,] everyone wins,” said Jenny Richardson, a member of the National Alumni Board for the McKay School of Education.
Alumni chapters across the country in cities such as Tempe, Arizona, and Orlando, Florida, collaborated with local nonprofit charitable organizations to collect food, art supplies, hygiene items and books.
The items were then donated locally to support the students of the opposing team and the surrounding community.
Jennifer Wise, the BYU alumni chapter chair in Denver, Colorado, said: “I love that as BYU alumni we can come together this way. We are all spread out, but events like these give us purpose. We all have the same goal to do good in the world, which connects us together as alumni.”
And Christian Rasband, BYU alumni chapter chair in Orlando, said: “This is bigger than football. We are trying to be a university where people look forward to having us in town. We want to do some good while we are here.”
Art supplies drive at SMU
BYU’s first road game of the season was Sept. 6 verses Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. BYU alumni and friends hosted an art supplies drive at the pregame tailgate. Hundreds of art supplies were collected for the Caring Pathways of Carrollton, a nonprofit program for underserved adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Dallas news media covered the project, showing how BYU graduates are going forth to serve.
“While the tailgate is a fun party, we also pick a community service project that we focus on,” said Taggart Barron, the Dallas Fort Worth alumni chapter chair. “We are doing something to give back to the Dallas community, and hopefully we can make a difference for these care centers.”
Food drive at Wyoming
In Laramie, Wyoming, on Sept. 14, local BYU alumni and friends donated canned and boxed food, diapers, shampoo and other essential items for the University of Wyoming Food Share Pantry, an on-campus organization making sure every student is nourished.
“It has been delightful to talk with the people here in Laramie,” Wise said. “We have enough food donated to fill the pantry, … and they are so excited to get the donations.”
Food drive at Baylor
Before BYU beat Baylor in Waco, Texas, on Sept. 28, BYU alumni and fans brought more than 1,000 pounds of canned and boxed food for Shepherd’s Heart — the largest faith-based food pantry in central Texas. The donations helped support residents of Waco who are in need.
“We looked for opportunities to serve in the community,” said Dave Talbot, the BYU alumni chapter chair in Austin, Texas. “We know at BYU you ‘enter to learn, go forth to serve,’ and that is something we try to do at each event we hold.”
Food drive at UCF
In Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 26, BYU alumni and friends donated over 2,000 pounds of food and hygiene items before the game with the University of Central Florida. The items were given to Knights Helping Knights food pantry, a program that serves UCF students in need.
“We [are trying] to spread the light of Christ and build our relationship with UCF,” Rasband said. “Knights Helping Knights pantry is all about providing students with the basic necessities of life. We saw a big need there so we wanted to step up and help.”
Food drive at Utah
Beginning the week before BYU played Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Nov. 9, fans and alumni of both teams held an annual collaborative food drive, Tackling Hunger Together. Food and monetary donations were collected to benefit Utah’s two largest food banks: the Utah Food Bank and Community Action Services and Food Bank. Contributions continued through Nov. 27.
Book drive at Arizona State
In Tempe, Arizona, on Nov. 23, BYU alumni and fans donated hundreds of pounds of food at the tailgate before the game against Arizona State University, and also brought books for Operation Feed & Read. In partnership with the ASU America Reads program, the project collected over 2,000 books for Mesa public schools, Vista College Prep and the Boys and Girls Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
BYU’s Tyler Stahle contributed to this report.
