North American Food Drive
| Year | Pounds |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 256,416 |
| 1994 | 415,000 |
| 1995 | 551,570 |
| 1996 | 835,588 |
| 1997 | 1,127,845 |
| 1998 | 1,900,000 |
| 1999 | 2,500,000 |
| 2000 | 2,800,000 |
| 2001 | 2,900,000 |
| 2002 | 2,938,000 |
| 2003 | 2,087,126 |
| 2004 | 2,938,012 |
| 2005 | 3,033,759 |
| 2006 | 2,320,155 |
| 2007 | 1,956,573 |
| 2008 | 2,076,243 |
| 2009 | 2,966,779 |
| 2010 | 1,236,164 partial |
| Total | 33,502,825 |
“On November 6, 1993, Lambda Chi Alpha began a philanthropy project that has collected more than 27 million pounds of food for the needy across North America. Called the North American Food Drive, this annual event has become the largest single-day philanthropic project sponsored by a collegiate organization. Its success is so impressive that Lambda Chi Alpha became the first fraternity to receive the Summit Award from the American Society of Association Executives in 1995, an award presented annually to associations and companies nationwide as part of its Associations Advance America Awards Program.” Lambda Chi Alpha won its second Advance America award in 2005.
The Food Drive began as the "Pantry Raid" at Millsaps College in the early 1980s. Though the "Pantry Raid" was not the only food drive in Lambda Chi Alpha at the time, the general fraternity used it as a model for a fraternity wide philanthropy. The fraternity chose "Brothers Feeding Others" as its theme and began promoting a one day food drive. Though the initial goal for the first food drive was 100,000 pounds, it was far surpassed. 256,416 pounds of food were collected and donated to needy food banks. The philanthropy has continued to expand and grow yearly. The fraternity collected over 1 million pounds for the first time in 1997 and had its first 2 million pound year in 1999. In 2005 over 3 million pounds of food were collected.
"The North American Food Drive touches the lives of more and more community members each year. With an increased effort in helping those who are less fortunate, brothers continue to uphold the ideals of the Fraternity for all to see by making a difference for the needy in your community."
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