Florida’s football team took time away from preparing for Florida State this afternoon to help assemble bags of groceries and other items for homeless and needy families in Gainesville.
Coach Urban Meyer, players and some staff gathered at St. Augustine Church across the street from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and prepared roughly 600 bags for 300 families.
“The groceries that we’re putting together — if people stretch it out, it’s going to last for a while,” Father David Ruchinski said.
The bags were filled mainly of non-perishable food, as well as socks and t-shirts.
Meyer contributed most of the money for the project, Ruchinski said. Nike and Pepsi also contributed.
Meyer and his wife Shelley came up with the idea and brought it to Ruchinski. Meyer saw it as an opportunity to serve the poor and give his players a little more appreciation for what they have.
At least 40 Florida players participated.
“I was talking to them as we were carrying those bags and said, ‘Do you realize this can feed a family for a week?’” Meyer said. “We’re going to feed 300 families for a whole week. A lot of them are just so spoiled nowadays. They don’t realize that. It was a great day for us.”
