BOZEMAN — An off-field competition between Montana State University and the University of Montana to see which school can collect the most donations for its local food bank will be held Nov. 6 through Nov. 20. The Can the Griz food drive, as the annual friendly battle is known to Bobcat fans, is now in its 22nd year.

The drive will begin at midnight on Friday, Nov. 6, and conclude at the end of the first quarter of the annual Brawl of the Wild football game between MSU and UM on Saturday, Nov. 20, according to Kim Cleary, community engagement program manager in the MSU Office of Student Engagement. A winner will be announced on Can the Griz social media accounts later during the game on Nov. 20.

Organizers ask that nonperishable food donations be taken to collection locations throughout Gallatin County to support those in need. A list of participating locations can be found at canthegriz.com. Donations directly to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank may be dropped off at its location at 602 Bond St. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays; morning drop-offs are preferred.

Nonperishable donations can be dropped off at most local grocery stores. Look for donation bins near the front of each store. Garden produce can be dropped off at the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.

Large donation drop offs must be scheduled in advance with Jon Horn at jhorn@thehrdc.org. Cleary encouraged those who want to donate to plan ahead, to not wait until the final day and to utilize drop-off locations around the area. More information on drop-off times and details can be found on the Can the Griz website.

“Can the Griz is a great opportunity for our community to support each other,” Cleary said. “Our food drive totals during the pandemic were really inspiring. Although we lost the competition last year, the food that was donated impacted so many people in the valley when they needed it the most. Let’s use that as motivation to come together and raise a record amount of food and money for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank this year.”

Monetary donations may also be made directly to the Gallatin County Food Bank by visiting https://gallatinvalleyfoodbank.org/#donate. Each dollar counts as one pound of food. Bobcat supporters can add their contributions to MSU’s total by telling the food bank their donation is for Can the Griz. In addition, donations can be made to @canthegriz via Venmo.

Last year, MSU and Bobcat supporters donated 150,290 pounds of food and $252,893 to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank. Pounds and dollars are added together for the contest, resulting in a total of 403,183 pounds for the Bozeman community. The Can the Cats food drive in Missoula brought in the equivalent of 671,707 pounds of food for the Missoula Food Bank. Bozeman and the MSU community have won the competition 17 out of the 21 years it has been held.

Donations from Can the Griz will help the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, as well as the Bounty of the Bridgers food pantry, year-round. The Gallatin Valley Food Bank is one of the HRDC Food and Nutrition Programs’ Initiatives. The Bounty of the Bridgers, housed in the Office of Health Advancement, is a student-driven initiative to combat food waste and insecurity on the MSU campus for students, faculty and staff.

Can the Griz is coordinated by the MSU Office of Student Engagement and the Gallatin Valley Food Bank. Community members interested in more details on how to participate or volunteer can visit the Can the Griz website or its Facebook and Instagram pages. For more information or to host a collection box, please contact the MSU Office of Student Engagement at 406-994-2933 or email canthegriz@montana.edu.