By Ana Ceballos, Contributor

For the third year in a row, San Diego State was announced the winner of the San Diego Food Bank competition sponsored by Hard Rock Hotel. SDSU competed against University of San Diego, California State University San Marcos and University of California San Diego.  

Amanda Pascoe, Associated Students vice president of finance, initiated the effort for the competition held Oct. 6 through Oct. 22. Food was collected in red bins on campus and neighborhood grocery stores. Monetary donations and text message donations were available, as well as order form donations in campus convenience stores. Aztec Shops also matched donations made by employees.

The winner was determined by pounds of food collected by participating universities. SDSU accumulated 18,841 pounds compared to second place UCSD with 5,726 pounds and CSU San Marcos with 1,698 pounds. According to the San Diego Food Bank’s website, the combined donations will be the first official donation to the San Diego Food Bank’s 2010 Holiday Food Drive, helping the huge increase in demand from San Diegans affected by the struggling economy.

According to Mayor Jerry Sanders and County Supervisor Ron Roberts, who were present at the announcement of the food drive’s winner, San Diego Food Bank helps more than 340,000 people every month. Also according to the San Diego Food Bank’s website, 50 percent of the food distributed within San Diego County each year goes to households that have at least one adult employed in a low-income job.

Student representatives took home the Colleges Rock Hunger electric guitar trophy. Additionally, a message congratulating SDSU on its win will be held outside the Hard Rock Hotel on Fifth Avenue this week.