November 24, 2025, 6:30pm MST
Those in need at the University of Cincinnati can go to the on-campus food pantry for relief. And last weekend, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated 27,000 pounds of food. This is the largest food donation in Bearcat Food Pantry history.
The truck arrived in advance of the Brigham Young University-Cincinnati football game on Nov. 22, which BYU won 26-14.
BYU alumni, fans, church members and full-time missionaries helped unload church trucks and stock food pantry shelves.
“Words cannot express how touched we are by this generous donation,” said Daniel S. Cummins, the university’s associate dean of students.
In another service opportunity before the game, BYU alumni collected coats for the Cincinnati NAACP’s Winter Coat Drive and donated funds to help children this winter.
BYU Alumni Association Cincinnati Chapter President Jim Wilson said fans and alumni are tailgating with a purpose. “When we come to a campus like this, we don’t just come to party. We strive to leave the community in a much better state than when we found it,” he said.
Following a tradition from previous years, BYU fans gave back to the community during the 2025 football season through the Cougs Care initiative. The BYU Alumni Chapter has organized projects at each 2025 road game, finding opportunities to meet needs everywhere.
BYU President C. Shane Reese called these efforts a “party with a purpose” and said the service projects reflect BYU’s mission to develop Christlike leaders committed to service in communities around the world.
President Reese said that since BYU’s athletic teams joined the Big 12 Conference in 2023, the school has aimed to “cultivate the courage to be different.”
“We decided that one of the best ways we could do that was by serving our community in a meaningful way,” he said in a ChurchofJesusChrist.org news release.
BYU is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and graduates are invited to commemorate 150 hours of personal service and make a difference where they live.
During another Cougs Care tailgate project this past football season, Blaine Maxfield, managing director of Church Welfare and Self-Reliance Services, expressed gratitude for being able to “be a part of the good things” happening in the community.
“When we come together to serve, we not only strengthen our communities, but also reflect the Savior’s love in ways that uplift and inspire. When we choose to serve, we follow Christ’s example and care for those in need,” he said.
See below for other Cougs Care service projects during the 2025 season.
Feeding students at East Carolina University
At a tailgate prior to the BYU vs. ECU game on Sept. 20 in Greenville, North Carolina, fans brought donations to the ECU Williams vs. Ross Purple Pantry.
They filled donation boxes with more than 5,000 pounds of non-perishable food and hygiene products for the Pantry, a campus resource that supports students facing food insecurity.
Leslie McCarley, a member of the BYU Alumni Association North Carolina Chapter, said, “It was a really great opportunity because it’s not just the Greenville community, it’s actually the university community. The Purple Pantry is a great organization that provides meals to students.”
books for families in colorado
Ahead of the BYU vs. Colorado game on Sept. 27 in Boulder, Colorado, BYU fans collected books and other supplies for Boulder’s Family Learning Center, which supports bilingual early education for low-income families.
BYU Denver Alumni Association President Jennifer Wise said more than 300 requested book titles and hundreds of other books were donated to strengthen children’s English and Spanish literacy skills.
“People are donating books, phonics games, toys, things that help bridge the gap between Spanish and English,” Wise said. “This is definitely a BYU-specific activity, and I love being a part of it.”
Arizona children’s books and food
BYU alumni and fans participated in Operation Sunnyside Read and Feed before the BYU vs. Arizona game on Oct. 11 in Tucson, Arizona.
This service project collected children’s books and food for the Sunnyside Foundation and Community Food Pantry.
The church also trucked 40,000 pounds of food to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.
“We’re at a critical time for these types of donations, which will allow us to feed thousands of people,” said Chris Farmage, the food bank’s communications manager.
“It’s really great for you to come to these communities and learn about the work that is being done to strengthen them and support them in this way,” said Veronica Cruz Mercado of the Sunnyside Foundation.
University of Arizona Athletic Director Desiree Reed-Francois called the pregame effort “true sportsmanship” and said, “We really appreciate everything the BYU community has brought to us. I think this is a great tradition.”
Serving Families at Iowa State University
The Cougs Care tailgate project before the BYU vs. Iowa State game on Oct. 25 in Ames, Iowa, celebrated the pioneer spirit and supported displaced families.
BYU Iowa Alumni Chapter President Greg Wells has discovered a connection to the state’s church history. Charles Good of Des Moines, Iowa, once donated new boots to the children of pioneers in 1856. There, fans collected cash, coats, shoes and blankets for the Johnston Partnership for their 2025 service project.
“We want to repay the kindness that Charles Good showed to the members of our church. There are children in Iowa who need shoes right now,” Wells said.
Andrea Cook, executive director of the Johnston Partnership, said donations of shoes and money started coming in before the football game. “It’s great to see the community’s response.”
Collect books at Texas Tech University
A tailgate in Lubbock, Texas, prior to the BYU vs. Texas Tech game on Saturday, Nov. 8, was a joint effort between fans of both universities.
The service project collected more than 6,000 books for Literacy Lubbock, a nonprofit organization that promotes early childhood and adult literacy.
BYU graduate Andy Reid and Texas Tech graduate and Kansas City Chiefs head coach and quarterback Patrick Mahomes each promoted the book drive on social media prior to kickoff.
BYU Alumni Association Lubbock Chapter President Kim Marsh said, “As a BYU graduate and Lubbock resident, it was very important to me to serve this community. We fell in love with the people of West Texas. They have big hearts and love people.”
Chris Richards, president of the Texas Tech University Alumni Association Lubbock Chapter, said the partnership has grown rapidly. “Everyone wanted to help, so we decided to make this a week-long event to further increase literacy in Lubbock.”
BYU’s Tyler Stahle contributed to this report.
