The University of Montana’s annual “Can the Cats” food drive competition against Montana State University kicks off Saturday, Nov. 5, and runs through Saturday, Nov. 19.        The winner of the competition – whoever collects the most pounds of food – will be announced during the Nov. 19 Griz-Cat game in Bozeman. The canned food UM collects will benefit the Missoula Food Bank.

Designated canned food boxes for “Can the Cats” will be located in UM residence halls, the University Center, the Mansfield Library, Main Hall, the Davidson Honors College, the Missoula YMCA, Orange Street Food Farm, all Albertsons locations, the Good Food Store, Worden’s Market, the McLeod Avenue Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Swift Building. Karl Tyler Chevrolet, the competition’s major sponsor, also will have a collection box.

Contributions also can be made directly to the Missoula Food Bank during the collection period, but donors must specify that their donations are for “Can the Cats.” Food collected before Nov. 5 will not be counted for the competition.

Volunteers also will collect food and monetary donations at the Nov. 5 home football game at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

UM’s Office for Civic Engagement, one of the competition’s coordinators, encourages people to donate items such as potatoes, rice and canned vegetables, fruit and tuna. Monetary donations will be converted to pounds, with $1.60 equaling one pound of food.

Last year’s competition between the two rivals gathered more than 40,000 pounds of food for food banks in Missoula and Bozeman. This year’s goal is 60,000 pounds.