COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - Every year for a decade now, athletes at Saint John's University have come together on one Sunday in Lent to help others in need.

The annual food packing event is led by members of the SJU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) in partnership with Kids Fighting Hunger - a Central Minnesota-based organization that works with volunteer groups to package food and prepare it for distribution where it's needed most.

Student-athletes donate their own money to help cover the cost of food and members of SAAC also collect funds at home athletic events. This year, a total of $7,000 was raised.

The culmination of all those efforts came Sunday (March 29) when 200 Johnnie athletes were joined by 100 other members of the CSB and SJU communities to pack 38,000 meals.

"It speaks volumes about our student-athlete community at SJU that these individuals took a big chunk out of their busy schedules on a Sunday in Lent to volunteer their time and efforts to help a fantastic cause," said Peyton Bigaouette, SJU's assistant athletic director who worked with SAAC on the event. 

"It's an extremely busy time for these athletes, both academically and in their athletic calendars. We even had baseball players who came to help until they had to get down to the field to prepare for their game a few hours later.

"That shows the kind of student-athlete we have here," he continued. "They're always putting someone else first and working for the common good."

SAAC president Carsten Reuter, a senior swimmer who took over his duties from All-American wide receiver Dylan Wheeler earlier this school year, said the event is extremely important to he and his fellow athletes.

"It's very rewarding when you think of what you're doing and who you're doing it for," he said. "But it's also just a lot of fun. You get to see a lot of people you don't see every day. It's a good way to bring everyone together to bond and get something positive done."

Reuter said the hope is to include CSB's Student Athlete Advisory Committee in the planning efforts for the event going forward.

"That's something we'd really like to have happen," he said. "The past 10 years, it's been just the Johnnies taking donations. But this would let us widen those efforts out and have an even great reach. That's something I think everyone is excited about."

SJU athletic director Dan O'Brien said events like Sunday showcase the best of Johnnie athletics and the entire CSB and SJU campus community.

"I couldn't be prouder of our student-athletes," he said. "We did something for those less fortunate than ourselves. We put other people first. That's not always the most popular thing to do. However, our Johnnies and Bennies did it with smile on their faces. 

"Every sport was represented and we packed 38,000 meals in two hours. I'm excited to try to grow that number next year. Hats off to our SAAC and our student-athletes."