Philly Big 5 `Slam Dunking' for a good cause

When College senior Jennifer Young came to Monday night's basketball doubleheader, neither she nor her friends had any idea they should have brought a donation.

Bins were set up throughout the Palestra to collect any canned goods and non-perishable food items that fans attending the game were encouraged to bring.

Monday night's men's and women's Penn-Lafayette games were just a small part of the Philadelphia Big 5's "Slam Dunk Hunger" campaign to support the Greater Philadelphia Food Bank.

Unfortunately, a lack of publicity as well as some obscurely placed collection bins left fans like Young unaware of the charity campaign.

However, many fans were enthusiastic about participating in future charity events involving Big 5 basketball -- and the "Slam Dunk Against Hunger," specifically.

When asked if she would contribute her canned goods in the future, Young replied an encouraging, "sure," which is exactly the response the Big 5 is looking for in future benefits.

"I think our goal is really to get the students involved and hope that they can help out with the drive," Beth Devine, the assistant director of the Big 5, said.

The Greater Philadelphia Food Bank is one of three different charities being helped this year by the Big 5 -- the intracity basketball league comprised of Penn, St. Joseph's, LaSalle, Villanova and Temple.

With the support of the Big 5 athletic directors and Tom Brennan of LaSalle University, the league plans to put collection bins at 10 of this season's Big 5 games.

Last night was the only charity event held at a Penn home game, but collections were taken at the Philadelphia Big 5 Classic -- a tripleheader featuring all the Big 5 teams and Drexel -- on Dec. 8.

Devine said that the Big 5's involvement in the Slam Dunk Hunger campaign "just seemed like a natural partnership," with the goal of simply being "a little more service oriented [so that] we can bring [not only] basketball to the area, but also... some good into the community."

For Penn's women's basketball head coach Kelly Greenberg, promoting community service is a very important goal for her team.

"We keep them very aware of the community and influencing throughout our campus and they always get very excited about it," Greenberg said of her players.

Greenberg also hopes that the women's basketball team can do something to help the community every time they play at the Palestra.

"I think we could do something every single home game. I think it would be a great idea," she said.

Greenberg also noted that the Big 5 food drive itself was a "great idea."

Devine and her colleagues at the Big 5 hope to use the drive as a "kind of learning process this year."

"We're going to see what worked, what doesn't," Devine said.

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