During the week of April 4-15, Regent Law students, staff and faculty participated in the 5th Annual Statewide Legal Food Frenzy. They raised 142 pounds of food and $3,112.04. Every dollar equals four pounds of food.
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell ('89) founded the program when he was serving as state attorney general to end hunger in the Hampton Roads area. In this competition, the group that raises the most food will be awarded the Mini Attorney General's Cup.
"There are people in this area who are in need, and the most vulnerable of those are the elderly and children," explained 3L Angela Brooks, Regent's student representative to the Virginia Bar Association (VBA) and organizer of Regent's efforts. "As a student my daily life generally revolves around me—what I need to read for class, what I need to pass law school, what I want to do tonight. Never [have I] wondered if I would eat that day, if I had the money to pay for food ... I think it is a good thing for people—especially me—to put the "me" aside, even if it's just for a day, and to think about someone who they will probably never meet."
The Legal Food Frenzy is organized by the Office of the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the VBA Young Lawyers Division and the Federation of Virginia Food Banks. The first drive was held in 2007 and continues as a friendly competition among all Virginia law firms and law schools.
"This has become a great tradition for the law school, first, because it gives us the opportunity to give to those who God has commanded us to love and care for—children, the elderly, the working poor, widows and our neighbors—and, second, because Regent Law was the first winner of the Mini Attorney General's Cup and we would love to bring the cup back home to Regent," explained Darius Davenport, director of Regent Law's Career and Alumni Services who cosponsored the event.
Over the past four years, the Legal Food Frenzy has raised the equivalent of more than 5,400,000 pounds of food statewide. The group that wins the Mini Attorney General's Cup will send its top two student donors to attend a special reception at the Governor's Mansion for an awards presentation hosted by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and Governor McDonnell.
- By Rachel Judy
(Photo courtesy of Phil Wood Photo)