WCJC goes for can-collecting record
By BENJAMIN SHARP news@leader-news.com

Last year, collections fell just short of the record. Today, Wharton County Junior College dining services officials are hoping to break it.

WCJC's Sodexho, a dining services provider to hundreds of campuses across the nation, will pool its resources once again to try and top the Guinness Book of World Records mark for largest food drive by a non-charitable organization in a 24-hour period.

Deemed "Cans Across America," the effort includes the simultaneous gathering of canned goods at roughly 540 of Sodexho's nationwide locations. The event was held for the first time last year. It failed to break the record.

"We did get close to the goal. We were less than 45,000 pounds from the goal," said administrative assistant Gretchen Lundquist.

The current record is 221,028.85 pounds collected in a 24-hour period. Sodexho officials are hopeful the community will come out in droves today to help break the record.

All items collected will be donated to area charitable organizations.

"We are very excited to make this year's Cans Across America event even bigger and better than last year's, and we are confident that the record will soon belong to us," said Sodexho's general manager Shane Odom.

Donated items must be within expiration dates and not be damaged. Today's collection will occur from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the WCJC Dining Hall and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Pioneer Student Center. Anyone donating five or more canned goods will be treated to a free lunch or a complimentary small Starbucks hot beverage.