Cans Across the Conference
Since the conference's inception in 2006, the members of the Northern Athletics Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has organized "Cans Across the Conference", doing something together as a conference that helps in each institutions' respective community.
SAAC annually organizes the canned food drive as a community service competition amongst the thirteen institutions in the conference. Each campus SAAC collects cans and other non-perishable items at their school during October and November to benefit a local charity.
In addition to food items, one dollar donated will equal two cans, and toiletries (shampoo, soap, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) will also be counted.
"This is an outstanding project that SAAC and all of the NAC student-athletes are undertaking. It will benefit many people," remarks Northern Athletics Conference Commissioner G. Steven Larson. "Our institutions and student-athletes have done a remarkable job collecting over 130,000 items the last 6 years."
In 2006, Concordia University Wisconsin won the traveling trophy with 1,311 donated items. In 2007, Aurora University topped the field with 3,513 items. Rockford College has won for 2-straight years, as it collected 6,750 items in 2008 and 3,551 in 2009, while Alverno College has won the last two by setting new records with 7,108 items in 2010 and 13,477 items in 2011.
2012 Standings
| Institution | Items | Organization |
| Alverno | 25,284 | Milwaukee area pantries |
| Lakeland | 7,739 | Sheboygan Salvation Army |
| Benedictine | 2,300 | TBA |
| Marian | 1,342 | Fondy Food Pantry |
| Wisconsin Lutheran | 1,137 | TBA |
| Rockford |
1,095 | Rockford Rescue Mission |
| Conference Office | 1,040 | Milwaukee Rescue Mission, New Berlin Food
Pantry |
| MSOE | 1,004 | Hunger Task Force |
| Dominican | 922 | Thanksgiving Baskets Project |
| Concordia Wisconsin | 831 | Port Washington Food Pantry |
| Aurora | 764 | Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry |
| Concordia Chicago |
754 | Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry |
| Maranatha | 513 | Watertown Food Pantry |
| Edgewood |
150 | TBA |
|
NAC Total: |
44,875 |
Totals as of Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012 |
2011 Standings
| Institution | Items | Organization |
| Alverno |
13,477 |
Feeding America Eastern
Wisconsin & Hunger Task Force |
| Lakeland | 3,703 | Plymouth Food Pantry &
Safe Harbor |
| Benedictine | 2,768 | Operation Support Our
Troops, Lisle/Woodridge Food Depository & Sacred Heart Mission
Church |
| Marian | 2,700 | Broken Bread |
| Wisconsin Lutheran |
2,457 | Waukesha County Food Pantry |
| Rockford | 1,630 | Rockford Rescue Mission,
Rockford Food Pantry & Salvation Army |
| Concordia Wisconsin | 912 | Port Washington Food Pantry |
| Concordia Chicago |
897 | Oak Park/River Forest Food Pantry |
| Dominican | 846 | Thanksgiving Baskets Program |
| MSOE | 558 | Hunger Task Force |
| Maranatha | 417 | Watertown Food Panty |
| Conference Office |
355 | Milwaukee Rescue Mission,
New Berlin Food Pantry |
| Aurora | 253 | Hessed House |
| Edgewood | 127 | Second Harvest Food Bank |
|
NAC Total: |
31,100 |
Final Totals as of Monday, November 21, 2011 |
| Institution | Items | Organization |
| Alverno | 7,108 | Hunger Task Force |
| Rockford | 4,037 | Rockford Rescue Mission, Rockford Food Pantry, Salvation Army |
| Dominican | 2,623 | Thanksgiving Baskets Program |
| Wisconsin Lutheran | 2,507 | Hunger Task Force |
| Marian | 2,375 | Fond du Lac County Social Services and Dobogai Memorial Foundation |
| Benedictine | 1,497 | Woodridge/Lisle Food Pantry |
| Concordia Chicago | 1,270 | Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry |
| Aurora | 1,269 | Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry |
| Lakeland | 1,225 | Sheboygan Co. Health & Human Services/Families at Sheridan Elem. |
| Maranatha | 1,004 | Watertown Food Pantry |
| Concordia Wisconsin | 878 | Port Washington Food Pantry |
| MSOE | 550 | Hunger Task Force |
| NAC Office | 525 | Milwaukee Rescue Mission, New Berlin Food Pantry |
| Edgewood | 364 | St. Vincent de Paul's Food Pantry |
|
NAC Total: |
27,232 |
Final totals as of Monday, Nov. 22 |
| Institution | Items | Organization |
| Rockford |
3,551 | Rockford Rescue Mission, Rockford Food Pantry, Salvation Army |
| Alverno |
2,227 | Hunger Task Force |
| Dominican |
1,752 | Thanksgiving Baskets Program |
| Aurora |
1,565 | Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry |
| Maranatha |
1,446 | Watertown Food Pantry |
| Benedictine |
1,392 | Woodridge/Lisle Food Pantry |
| Wisconsin Lutheran |
1,295 | Hunger Task Force |
| Concordia Wisconsin | 1,210 | Port Washington Food Pantry |
| Concordia Chicago | 905 | Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry |
| Marian |
847 | Fond du Lac County Social Services |
| Lakeland |
721 | Plymouth Food Pantry |
| Edgewood |
351 | St. Vincent de Paul’s Food Pantry |
| MSOE | 303 | Hunger Task Force |
|
NAC Total: |
17,565 |
| Institution | Items | Organization |
| Rockford |
6,750 | Rockford Rescue Mission |
| Maranatha |
5,395 | Watertown Food Pantry, Pillsbury Baptist Bible College Faculty & Staff |
| Aurora |
2,162 | Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry |
| Edgewood |
1,439 | St. Vincent de Paul’s Food Pantry |
| Wisconsin Lutheran |
1,400 | Second Harvest of Wisconsin |
| Lakeland |
1,191 | Plymouth Food Pantry |
| Alverno |
1,121 | Hunger Task Force |
| Benedictine |
1,027 | Woodridge/Lisle Food Pantry |
| MSOE | 857 | Hunger Task Force |
| Concordia Wisconsin | 834 | Port Washington Food Pantry |
| Marian |
660 | Fond du Lac County Social Services |
| Dominican |
621 | 40 Families Dominican is Sponsoring |
| Concordia Chicago | 518 | Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry |
|
NAC Total: |
23,975 |
Fall of 2008 totals as of 11/24/2008 |
| Institution | Items | Organization |
| Aurora | 3,513 | Green Harvest |
| Marian | 2,581 | FDL County Dept. Social Services & Solutions Center of FDL |
| Alverno | 2,560 | Hunger Task Force |
| Wisconsin Lutheran | 2,010 | Second Harvest of Wisconsin |
| Edgewood | 1,991 | St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry |
| Maranatha | 1,200 | Watertown Area Needy Family Fund |
| Dominican | 1,039 | SERVE |
| Concordia Wisconsin | 470 | Family Sharing of Ozaukee County |
| Lakeland | 400 | Plymouth Food Pantry |
| MSOE | 317 | Hunger Task Force |
| Rockford | 242 | Rockford Rescue Mission |
| Benedictine | - | - |
| Concordia Chicago | - | - |
|
NAC Total: |
16,323 |
Fall of 2007 totals as of 11/19/2007 |
| Institution | Items | Organization |
| Concordia Wisconsin | 1,311 | Benediction Lutheran Church |
| Wisconsin Lutheran | 1,241 | Second Harvest of Wisconsin |
| Alverno | 1,142 | Hunger Task Force |
| Marian | 1,088 | Bethany House |
| Dominican | 856 | Needy Local Families |
| Lakeland | 790 | Sheboygan Food Pantry |
| Edgewood | 722 | St. Vincent DePaul |
| Concordia Chicago | 508 | St. Matthew's Lutheran Church Food Pantry |
| Benedictine | 327 | Loaves and Fishes of Naperville |
| Aurora | 250 | Hesed House |
| Rockford | 132 | Rockford Rescue Mission |
| Maranatha | 76 | Watertown Food Pantry |
|
NAC Total: |
8,443 |
