Utah Summer Games Block Party to feature food drive for Southern Utah University Hope Pantry

CEDAR CITY, Utah (ABC4) — The Southern Utah University Hope Pantry will host a food drive at this year’s Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games Block Party through the Summer Games Serves initiative.

The SUU Hope Pantry will have a booth at the block party on Friday, June 6, from 5-8 p.m. at the SUU Practice Field, which is located west of Eccles Coliseum. Donations of food and other items will be accepted at their booth until the end of the block party.

Donations will assist SUU students facing food insecurity in the 2025-2026 academic year, which affects a significant number of students.

“Almost half of all SUU students struggle with food insecurity each school year,” director of the SUU Hope Pantry Pam Branin said in a press release. “Being able to provide a campus pantry makes a huge difference, as students often reflect, ‘the pantry saved me.'”

The SUU Hope Pantry is requesting donations of the following items:

• Bags of rice
• Pasta and pasta sauce
• Canned meats (chicken, tuna)
• Ready-to-eat-soup
• Full-size toiletry items (soap, shampoo, deodorant, etc.)

According to the executive director of the Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games, Jon Oglesby, the Summer Games Serve initiative has been supported by UServe Utah and the Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement this year.

You can find more information about the Utah Summer Games on their website.