CHEMISTRY CLUB: Chemists react to hunger by sponsoring food drive
IVCC's chemistry students are among the "Chemists Reacting to Hunger" in observance of National Chemistry Week Nov. 5 to 11. Leading the Chem Club's activities is a food drive for the Illinois Valley Food Pantry being conducted through Nov. 15.
The club's four sponsors, PQ Corporation of Utica, Air Products of LaSalle, Huntsman Chemical of Peru and Carus Chemical of LaSalle, are participating by conducting food drives at their facilities.
"It's very exciting that the companies are supporting us with this food drive," said Chem Club advisor Bob Byrne. "It's really a community event."
For the drive on campus, the students will be accepting donations of non-perishable food. Byrne said the Pantry can use almost any non-perishable food for their regularly monthly distributions including canned vegetables and fruit, pasta, spaghetti, noodles, soup, peanut butter, tuna and boxed potato mixes.
For holiday distributions, at Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Pantry also tries to provide food appropriate to the season such as stuffing mix, pancake mixes and canned sweet potatoes. Byrne said the pantry can also use paper sacks.
Collection boxes are located in the lobby and near Bryne's office, D-202.
Other activities the campus group is organizing for the week, which has a theme of Kitchen Chemistry, include:
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Science fun hands-on activities with students and their parents at the Day Care Center on Oct. 30.·
pHun Chem demonstrations and drawings for prizes in the main lobby from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 6·
pHun Chem demonstrations at Joliet West High School on Nov. 11.Six to ten members of the Chem Club will travel to present this program, which is open to the public. The Joliet section of the American Chemical Society invited the local group to participate.
Ammie Liddle, reporter-secretary for the club, said members enjoy performing the Phun Chem demonstrations.
"You get to see the kids get really excited," Liddle said.