INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — This year, members of the Sierra Nevada College Student Government Association decided to make a bigger impact on the community and use two of their popular fall events (the Halloween Dance and Casino Night) as a way to give back.

SGA asked for canned food donations in exchange for Halloween Dance tickets, and offered a 50 percent discount on buy-ins at Casino Night if people donated cans. These cans were then donated to the local food-relief organization, Project MANA.

The idea to collect cans for Project MANA originated after SGA attended the American Student Government Association Conference in Washington, D.C., this October.

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“We were talking about our upcoming Halloween Dance,” reported SGA Secretary MeiLi LeRoy. “Our Director of Public Relations, Katie, suggested that since tickets to the dance are free, we should have students donate a can of food in exchange for it.”

After the success of collecting nearly 200 cans and non-perishable food items at the Halloween Dance, SGA decided to do a similar fundraiser for Casino Night. Students were able to either pay a $10 buy-in or a $5 buy-in if they donated a can of food.

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SGA received positive feedback from both students and faculty about their fundraising efforts.

Senior Jake Bricklin said, “I love how SGA asked for a combination of cans and money at Casino Night. It was cheaper for me and showed me that not everything is going into SGA’s pockets.”

After both events, SGA tallied over 400 cans. SGA says this isn’t the end of their new, charitable strategy.

“This is just the beginning. We plan on continuing to find opportunities to give back throughout the year,” promises Secretary MeLi LeRoy.

This article was submitted to the Bonanza by the SNC Student Government Association. Visit sierranevada.edu to learn more about the college.