CHARLOTTE — Players with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Mississippi State Bulldogs took a break from practice to give back and pack thousands of bags of food for Charlotte children Wednesday morning.
This comes just days before they face off in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
The football players teamed up with Second Harvest Food Bank for some friendly competition ahead of the big game.
“This is awesome,” Wake Forest Head Coach Jake Dickert told Channel 9’s Miana Massey. “Our guys compete and have great energy. It brings a couple of our core values together, serving and competing, and our guys are having a great time doing it.”
The teams volunteered in staggered shifts, packing bags of food for students who rely on school meals to help families bridge the gap while kids are home during winter break.
“It’s super important work,” Second Harvest Hunger Programs Manager Jess Hudson said. “Every bag goes to a specific kid, so it’s invaluable.”
It’s an effort that shows how the impact of the game stretches beyond the field.
“I like to have my hand in the community, and I think it’s really important to pour back into something that poured so much into you, so I have to jump at every opportunity I get with that,” Will Cobb, Wake Forest’s long snapper, said.
The Duke’s Mayo Bowl kicks off Friday at 8 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium.
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