The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is beginning its annual Reach 13,000 Food Drive with a dodgeball tournament on Friday, Aug. 24.

The dodgeball tournament will be held from 3-6 p.m. in the Donaghey Student Center Fitness Center and marks the final event of welcome week activities for Trojan Daze Week.

Teams who want to participate in the dodgeball tournament can sign up through this online form. The entry fee is a $100 cash donation or a donation of 60 nonperishable food items per team. Teams can have 9-12 players and must include three female and three male team members. At least one member must be a UA Little Rock student, employee, or graduate.

The Chancellor’s Leadership Corps hosts four events to raise support for the Reach 13,000 campaign. These donations are given to UA Little Rock Trojan Food Pantry, Staff Senate Helping Hands Committee, and the 12th Street Clinic.

Additional events include Constitution Day on Sept. 17 with a voter registration drive and bake sale, the Fall Festival and kickball tournament in October, and the annual Battle of the Talents on Nov. 8.

An additional element of the campaign is a campus-wide competition to see which UA Little Rock student organization and department collects the most items for the food drive. At the end of the campaign, the winners will receive a trophy in honor of their dedication to fighting hunger. UA Little Rock departments and organizations can request a food drive donation box by filling out an online form.

The most needed items include children’s books and coloring books, crayons, markers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, personal hygiene products, corn, cornbread mix, rice, pasta, Kool-Aid, peanut butter, jelly, cereal, Ramen noodles, and bottled water, as well as cans of green beans, beans, chicken, tuna, potatoes, fruit, pasta sauce, and soups.

For more information, contact Amber Wolf at clc@ualr.edu.