Raising a record amount of 107,551 pounds of food, San Diego State won first place for the fifth consecutive year at the intercampus Colleges Rock Hunger Food Drive competition, surpassing this year’s 100,000 pound goal. All food and money collected from the drive is donated to the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank to feed hungry San Diegans. “The holidays are a time to count our blessings,” San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said on Friday at a press conference hosted at downtown’s Hard Rock Hotel, where the results of the competition were announced. SDSU President Elliot Hirshman, who also attended the conference, applauded the student work and input at the drive.

Point Loma Nazarene University had the second most food, followed by the University of California San Diego and Cal State San Marcos.

“We appreciate the rivalry,” PLNU political science sophomore Robert Contreras said. “The amount collected by SDSU is inspiring and something we can strive for next year.” Aztec Market General Manager Cherie Witchell said the Aztecs were able to collect almost twice the amount of last year’s earnings by incorporating new forms of donation to this year’s drive, such as monetary donations at eateries and online donations. Witchell said cash donations are often preferred to traditional canned-food donations, because with this money, the San Diego Food Bank is able purchase the nutritional foods San Diego’s less fortunate need most. The money collected is translated into pounds and is then added to the grand total.

The food drive lasted 23 days, from Oct. 5-28. “We couldn’t have done it without the students,” SDSU Associated Students Vice President of Finance Eric Anderberg said. “That dollar that you donated every day and that food that you donated made a huge impact in the San Diego community. I am so proud of everyone who was involved.”