Fans are invited to help the Big 12 Conference in the ongoing fight against hunger. Donations for the Big 12 Basketball Food Drive will be made through a secure, dedicated website. Fans can donate securely online via harvesters.org/big12fooddrive or by scanning the QR code on signage in T-Mobile Center and Municipal Auditorium.
The 2023 Big 12 Basketball Food Drive, presented by Overland Park-based Compass Minerals since its inception in 2020, has been a welcome complement to the Championships held annually in Kansas City. The beneficiary again this year is Harvesters—The Community Food Network, which provides food and household products to food pantries, community kitchens, shelters and other places and hosts educational programs focused on awareness and good nutrition.
While donating, fans are encouraged to pledge their support for a favorite Big 12 team. The team’s fan base that raises the most money for Harvesters will be recognized following the Conference Basketball Championships.
“The Big 12 Basketball Championships have such a strong history in Kansas City,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. “We are honored to have the opportunity through our partnership with Compass Minerals to pour back into this community with the support of our fans.”
Every fan who donates will be entered to win tickets to the men’s or women’s tournament or autographed memorabilia from their favorite Big 12 men’s or women’s basketball coach. Every dollar donated helps provide two meals, and Compass Minerals will be matching donations up to $10,000 total as it has since the inception of the Food Drive.
“At Compass Minerals, our aim is to make sure our presence benefits those around us,” said Compass Minerals President and CEO Kevin S. Crutchfield. “Actively engaging with the communities where our employees live and work is one way we can make an impact. Helping in the fight against hunger through this collaboration with the Big 12 and Harvesters is an honor for Compass Minerals.”
The 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship will be held at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, March 8-11. The Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship will be held at Municipal Auditorium, March 9-12.
“This is a wonderful event and we’re proud to be a part of it,” said Stephen Davis, president and CEO of Harvesters. “The need for food assistance remains higher than before the COVID-19 Pandemic. Increasing food prices and economic pressures are still bringing many families, children and seniors to our network of pantries, community kitchens and mobile food distributions for the very first time. We thank the Big 12 Conference and Compass Minerals for allowing us to benefit from the Big 12 Basketball Food Drive in order to help meet this need in our community.”
In addition to the virtual food drive, fans are also encouraged to support Harvesters when registering for the Big 12 Run. One dollar for every participant will be donated to the food drive and fans will have the ability to donate additional money to participate in the raffle.
The relationship with Compass Minerals is managed by Big 12 Sports Properties on behalf of the Conference. Big 12 Sports Properties is the LEARFIELD-dedicated team representing the Conference as its sponsorship rights holder.
About Compass Minerals
Compass Minerals (NYSE: CMP) is a leading global provider of essential minerals focused on safely delivering where and when it matters to help solve nature’s challenges for customers and communities. The company’s salt products help keep roadways safe during winter weather and are used in numerous other consumer, industrial, chemical and agricultural applications. Its plant nutrition products help improve the quality and yield of crops, while supporting sustainable agriculture. Additionally, the company is pursuing development of a sustainable lithium brine resource to support the North American battery market and is a minority owner of Fortress North America, a next-generation fire retardant company. Compass Minerals operates 12 production and packaging facilities with nearly 2,000 employees throughout the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Visit compassminerals.com for more information about the company and its products.
About Harvesters—The Community Food Network
Harvesters is a regional food bank serving a 26-county area of northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas. Harvesters provides food and related household products to more than 760 nonprofit agencies including food pantries, community kitchens, shelters and others. Pantry partners in Harvesters’ network provide food assistance to as many as 226,000 different people each month. Harvesters, which was founded in 1979, is a certified member of Feeding America, a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, serving all 50 states. For more information, visit harvesters.org.
About Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is currently comprised of 10 Universities – Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia. On July 1, 2023, the Conference will add BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston. The Big 12 is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics conference that encompasses five states with over 40 million people within its geographic footprint. In its 27th year, the Conference has produced over 780 Academic All-America selections and claimed national championship team titles in 20 of its 23 sponsored sports. Its student-athletes and teams have combined for 718 individual NCAA titles and 78 team national championships. Nearly 5,000 student-athletes from across the United States and around the World compete annually under the Big 12 banner. For more information, visit Big12Sports.com and follow the Conference on Facebook (Facebook.com/Big12), Twitter (@Big12Conference), Instagram (Instagram.com/big12conference/) and YouTube (YouTube.com/Big12Conference).