Although COVID-19 has taken from so many, the disease has not stopped the Virginia Tech lacrosse team from giving back to the community. The team partnered with Micah's Backpack to play host to the "Drive to Thrive," a food drive to collect healthy foods for the organization.
Micah's Backpack is an organization that targets food insecurity in Blacksburg. Every Friday during the school year, approximately 300 students in Blacksburg schools receive six meals, along with snacks, drinks, and an educational piece. As of November 2020, Micah's Backpack had provided more than 9,000 meals to students.
The Virginia Tech lacrosse team chose to address hunger as its community outreach project to benefit those in need and give back to the Blacksburg community. The Hokies previously had partnered with Micah's Backpack and wanted to continue volunteering with the organization. Officials from the organization reached out to the athletics department and the wider Blacksburg community to collect healthy foods such as fruit cups, peanut butter, and oatmeal. Drive to Thrive ran from Oct. 26-Nov. 9 and allowed the team to collect 2,117 items to contribute to Micah's Backpack for the holiday season.
"The Blacksburg community supports us in many ways, so it is nice that we are able to give back," lacrosse community outreach representative Leigh Lingo said. "It also provided the opportunity to partake in something so much bigger than ourselves. This was an overwhelmingly great experience."
Lingo played a large role in organizing Drive to Thrive.
"The Virginia Tech lacrosse team did an amazing job hosting the Drive for Thrive food drive for the Micah's Backpack program. Their enthusiasm in collecting the food and delivering it to us was contagious," Director of Micah's Backpack John Stramiello said. "The fact that they took time out of their schedules to assist Micah's Backpack in feeding students who are experiencing food insecurity says a lot about the ethics of this group. Their efforts not only positively impacted these students and their families, but also will impact how they themselves live out their lives."
Tech's lacrosse team was able to address the issue of food insecurity in Blacksburg and give back to the community with Drive to Thrive, all while spreading holiday cheer.