University of Hawai`i Hilo student-athletes and the Hilo community teamed up to collect over 200 items of food to donate to local families over the Holiday period.

As a part of a larger annual Pacific West Conference outreach, the UH Hilo SAAC (Student-Athletes Advisory Committee) organized collections the week prior to Thanksgiving at two Vulcan volleyball matches. They collected in excess of two barrels of food, which they were able to deliver to UHH's on-campus food basket.

Overall, the 12 conferences in the PacWest donated 9,357 cans of food to their local food banks. Additionally, over $2,500 was raised for the same purpose.

UH Hilo had the third highest number of cans donated with 203.

The UH Hilo SAAC organization features at least one student-athlete from each of the Vulcans' 12 teams. The group is organized and overseen by UHH Events and Promotions Coordinator Shelly Blunck.

"I am really grateful for the student-athletes willingness to jump in and help our community," Blunck said. "They got the word out through social media, sharing it on each of their accounts. I was really proud of their efforts."