Annual VWC “Meatball Roll” wraps up a year of Cooking for Kids in support of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia's Kid's Cafe program
By Leona Baker | April 28, 2011
When is a meatball more than just a meatball? When it’s a symbol of the fight against childhood hunger.
For the past four years, the “Meatball Roll” has been the culminating event of Virginia Wesleyan’s year-long Cooking for Kids program, a partnership between Sodexo Food Service and the VWC Office of Community Service. Cooking for Kids supports the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia's Kid's Cafe program. Over the course of the fall and spring semesters, staff and student volunteers work every other Wednesday evening preparing meals to be used in after-school feeding programs. Each year, about 20,000 such meals are prepared on the Wesleyan campus.
The Meatball Roll is a fun contest that wraps up a year’s worth of good work. The goal? Roll 1,500 meatballs for hungry children in the local community. Teams of two did their best to scoop and roll perfectly round 2-ounce meatballs in a certain period of time. This year, 12 teams vied for the Meatball Roll Trophy on April 20.
“Though there is a trophy on the line, the real winners are children in our community who get a nutritious meal and don't go hungry,” said Diane Hotaling, Director of Community Service.
“Quality Control Inspectors” make sure the meatballs are up to par. This year’s inspectors were Dr. Wayne Pollock, Assistant Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies, Dr. Keith Moore, Dean of Students, and Leon Taylor, Dining Services Sous Chef. Emcee Jason Seward, Director of Recreational Sports/Outdoor Activities & Coordinator of Batten Center Operations, kept the clock and provided colorful commentary.
In the end, junior volleyball player Taylor Thornton and sophomore tennis player Stephanie Bittner walked away with most meatball bragging rights. But congratulations are in order for all the staff and student volunteers including sophomore Josh Deihl and freshman Jennifer Allou who directed the Cooking for Kids program this year.