Several student groups from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology will step up to serve as volunteers on the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Volunteers during the MLK Day of Service will collect food and cash donations at local grocery stores, joining hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country in volunteer service.
The eighth annual food drive will be from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15. Volunteers will be at the following locations in Rapid City: both Family Fare locations, Fresh Start Neighborhood Market, both Safeway locations, Save-A-Lot, Sam’s Club and both Walmart locations.
The food drive helps fill the shelves at Feeding South Dakota and in the SD Mines student food pantry. Feeding South Dakota has a list of recommended items for donation here. The annual event honors Dr. King’s legacy and is an opportunity for Rapid City residents to renew their own personal vows of citizenship through service to others. Last year, 100 student volunteers collected 3,600 pounds of food.
The organization East of 5th is kicking off the food drive again this year. Interested members of the public can drop off canned food donations at The Garage in Rapid City and at other select businesses around the East of 5th district. Last year the East of 5th businesses brought in more than 700 pounds of food alone.
The SD Mines Athletics program is also joining the effort. Members of the public can get into Jan. 12-13 basketball games free with a donation of two cans of food per person. Find more on game times and schedules here.
Checks can be made out to Feeding South Dakota. Cash donations will help purchase food for the SD Mines student food pantry.
Student organizations participating are SD Mines Rotaract Club, Circle K International, National Society of Black Engineers, The American Indian Science and Engineering Society, Student Association Senate, Lambda Chi Alpha, Theta Tau, Society of Physics Students, Hardrocker Dance Team, LEAP and the Future Health Science Professionals Club. Triangle and student residents of Peterson Hall 2nd Floor will help sort food at Feeding South Dakota at a later date. The Professional Development Institute will help stock the student food pantry on campus. After the drive the Society of Petroleum Engineers will help weigh food and student members of the Center of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing and Production will help load food onto the Feeding South Dakota truck.
