Over the summer, TCU Student Development Services reached out to community engagement/service offices at peer institutions to connect and share ideas. Baylor introduced TCU to freerice.com, where visitors can raise funds for the United Nations World Food Programme by playing the web-based “Freerice” game. As visitors correctly answer questions — and view ads — they earn “grains of rice.” Each ad viewed as they play earns roughly the equivalent of five grains of rice for the World Food Programme.
In true Horned Frog fashion, Erin Wilson, associate director of community engagement in Student Development Services, quickly saw an opportunity for a friendly competition between the longtime rivals to bring awareness to Hunger Action Month. She challenged Texas Tech to play along as well. The Bears and Red Raiders could hardly resist.
The inaugural “Rice Challenge” among the three universities is the week of Sept. 21-24 — and all for an important cause.
“We are always looking for new ways to strengthen our connections and collaborations with other universities surrounding service, so when this opportunity presented itself, we were excited to get an enthusiastic yes from both Baylor and Texas Tech,” Wilson said.
Through the Rice Challenge, she hopes students from all three universities can play a role in helping with hunger relief efforts across the globe.
“TCU students are always so excited to volunteer at our local Tarrant Area Food Bank, but since that is not possible this semester, we wanted to continue to make a difference even though it’s from a distance,” she said. “The second goal is for students here at TCU and at other universities to be inspired to be creative and innovative in their efforts to make the world around us a better place.”
All funds generated from the Freerice game go to the World Food Programme, which uses 93.5% of every payment directly toward helping children and their families, according to freerice.com. WFP uses the proceeds to purchase food as well as fund a variety of projects around the world, depending on where needs are greatest. For more info visit the Freerice website.
The TCU-Baylor-Tech Rice Challenge begins Sept. 21 and runs until noon Sept 24. The university earning the most rice grains to benefit the World Food Programme will be announced Sept. 25. GO FROGS!