On Saturday, March 1, the Sweet Briar College community will be up to its eyeballs in potatoes — more than 40,000 pounds of white potatoes, in fact, delivered to the College for its inaugural “Potato Drop.”

A tractor-trailer load of potatoes will be transported to Sweet Briar’s Le Bistro parking lot by the Society of St. Andrew. SOSA is a non-profit organization that makes its headquarters in Big Island, Va., and works to eradicate hunger by distributing edible but unmarketable produce to food pantries, churches and other agencies that feed the poor.

According to the group’s Web site, in 2006 more than 11 million pounds of potatoes and other produce were salvaged and distributed by SOSA to hungry Americans.

Once the mountain of spuds arrives on campus, Sweet Briar students, faculty and staff will re-bag the potatoes, if necessary, and distribute them to area agencies. Recipients will include, among others, God’s Storehouse, Daily Bread, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Nelson County Food Pantry, the Salvation Army and Noah’s Ark, a food bank in Washington, D.C.

The effort is being spearheaded by the office of co-curricular life but also involves faculty and staff and several student groups, including the PACE (Promoting Academic and Community Engagement) Scholars, Sweet Spirits, Psy Chi psychology honor society, First-Year Assistants and the Sweet Briar Cross Country Club, among others.

Emmanuel United Methodist Church in Amherst also is sending volunteers.

Adam White, Sweet Briar’s chaplain, suggested having a Potato Drop at the College. He was involved in a similar event in 2004 when he was pastor of Emmanuel. He said it is a great way to unify the community and do a good deed at the same time.

“The way it brought the community together was most significant,” White said. “The project involved local churches contributing labor [and] youth groups [and] the Boy Scout troop.

“I guess what is the amazing sort of lesson in Potato Drop is that even in providing hungry people with free food, there is a tremendous amount of labor involved. When that labor is volunteer for transportation and sorting, the amount of good you can provide is incredible.”

Emmanuel UMC’s Potato Drop dispensed 28,000 pounds of potatoes or 145,000 servings, White said. Sweet Briar’s project will distribute nearly twice that amount.

“It’ll be a big task, but it is a great opportunity to give back something to many of the local organizations dealing with hunger and malnutrition,” Tom Loftus, SBC assistant professor of business, said. “The potatoes the students and staff will be distributing will help to feed literally hundreds and hundreds of area residents.

Loftus became involved in the project after talking with White and Tory Oelfke, director of the First-Year Experience at Sweet Briar. Oelfke said the Potato Drop is a great opportunity for student clubs, organizations and groups to fulfill community service obligations and impact the local community at the same time.

“It is all too easy to forget that there are many needs right in our own backyard,” he said. “We often think it is ‘so far away from us,’ so I see this program as a great opportunity for the Sweet Briar community and its students to continue to support those in need in our local communities.”

Potato Drop volunteers are also seeking funds to reimburse SOSA for the cost of bagging the potatoes. According to Oelfke, SOSA pays its supplier approximately $1,500 to put the potatoes in 50-pound sacks.

The president’s office, chaplain’s office and the First-Year Experience have already kicked in about $900, but more money is needed. If you’d like to contribute, contact Oelfke at toelfke@sbc.edu or 381-6420.