We’re giving out free Komets tickets–all you need to do is bring peanut butter

This is the sixth year Ivy Tech Northeast has partnered with companies for Bus Stuff. Organized by Citilink, the folks who bring you the big green campusLink buses, Bus Stuff is a collection of non-perishable goods for Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, also in partnership with IPFW and the Komets.

While bringing in any two non-perishables will get you two tickets to the April 11 Komets hockey game, what Community Harvest reeeeeally wants is peanut butter.

“It’s popular, but it’s good, too,” said Steve Corona, Community Harvest’s resource development officer and grant writer. “If you can’t (afford) meat, if you can’t (afford) eggs, peanut butter is a good substitute.”

We’ll be collecting the food in the Marketing & Communications office on Coliseum Campus (3800 N. Anthony Blvd.), Room CC1440. Just bring your goodies anytime next week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, and you’ll walk away with your Komets tickets.

Earlier this week, I stepped foot in the Community Harvest warehouse for the first time. It’s set up like a grocery store where those in need can take their shopping carts up and down the aisles for their food–snack bars, veggies, milk, peanut butter.

Corona shared some interesting stats and info about the organization and about Bus Stuff:

• This is Bus Stuff’s 11th year. In the last decade, it has received 25,000 pounds of food.
• Food collected by Community Harvest also feeds into 400 member agencies in northeast Indiana’s nine counties–largely churches and non-profits with food pantries and/or homeless shelters; 70 percent of food in pantries starts at Community Harvest.
• The group distributes 12 1/2 million pounds of food annually.
• Last year, Wal-Mart donated 5 million pounds of food from its 12 Wal-Marts and Sam’s Club stores in the region. Target and Kroger are also big providers. General Mills donated 800,000 pounds of food last year.

So add us into your phone’s calendar! Next week, bring non-perishable food (especially peanut butter!!) to Room CC1440 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and get two tickets to the 7:30 p.m. April 11 Komets game against the Cincinnati Cyclones at the Coliseum.