CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel track and field and cross country teams took part in their annual holiday food drive this November to support needy families in the Charleston area. 
 
Each year, before Thanksgiving Day, the track and cross country teams raise money to buy food and turkeys to donate to underprivileged families so they can enjoy a big Thanksgiving dinner. The cadet-student-athletes gather canned and non-perishable items throughout the fall from their classmates and friends and take any donated money to purchase discounted turkeys at the local grocery stores.
 
This year they donated 35 turkeys, macaroni, corn bread, potatoes, stuffing, green beans, corn, yams and other various Thanksgiving Day items to the East Cooper Community Outreach. When the food was delivered, ECCO announced that they had donated 1,404 pounds of food, breaking last year’s record of 997 pounds.
 
The track and field team began participating in the food drive in 1998 when assistant coach Kris Kut was a junior at The Citadel. The goal then was to help feed four local families, and over the years the drive has grown tremendously. The team donated enough food to help out to over 35 different families this year.
 
“It is an incredible feeling to watch these student-athletes work together and put forth so much time and energy to help the less fortunate during these unprecedented times,” said Kut. “It is an eye-opening experience for them to see how just down the road, families are struggling and go days without the simple things we have come to sometimes take for granted.”