Picture by Evan Guest
On Friday, dozens of students lined up under a bright blue sky, the hum of their voices filling the warm air while they waited to place their orders with one of the three food trucks lined up outside of Olmsted, all there for a good cause.
Alpha Tau Omega hosted the event Fall Food Trucks from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The food trucks donated 20 percent of the proceeds to the charity. They ended up raising about $500, all from the approximate 300 meals served, according to Alpha Tau Omega Philanthropy Chair Adam Rogan.
“It’s the first week of school, it’s a nice welcome back and it’s something cool going on,” Rogan said.
Rogan began reaching out to around 15 to 20 food trucks in the Des Moines area by messaging them on Facebook and by email in June.
Rogan did the marketing for the event as well by making an event on Facebook and distributing flyers around campus.
“Today, if you walk around campus, it’s impossible to miss 100, 150 people hanging out,” Rogan said.
Top Bun, a food truck serving large hamburgers and fries smothered in cheese, had around 50 students lined up at one point. Miss Molly’s Jamaican Patty and Street Eats DSM served food as well.
“I think it’s a great idea and a lot of people showed up. So I think they got a really good turnout and helped promote their philanthropy on campus,” said junior Rachel Mohatt while waiting for her food.
The MDA invests money in research on drug development and clinical trials, provides care and support for families registered with the MDA and provides resources for those with musical dystrophy or related diseases and their families, according to the MDA’s website.
According to the Mayo Clinic, muscular dystrophy is a group of diseases that cause “progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass.” It’s caused by abnormal genes that disrupt the production of proteins needed to build healthy muscle. There is no cure, but it hasn’t stopped the MDA from looking for one.
“With 20 percent of it going to charity, it makes a big difference for all of the students to know that we’re here to care,” said Mitch Schank, the president of Alpha Tau Omega.
Kurt Poorman, proprietor of the food truck Miss Molly’s Jamaican Patty, said that he brought his truck to Drake to help make a difference.
“Because the truck is dedicated to my mom, Miss Molly, she always believed in helping people out and feeding people,” Poorman said. “So I think this is something that she … it would be in her spirit, that she would do something like this too.”
Miss Molly’s has been open for a little over a year now. The truck originally started as a venture to help people with disabilities find employment, according to Poorman.
The day went well for Poorman and his business – Poorman said it went better than expected.
“We prepared just right, just in case. Fortunately, that preparation turned into a really good day,” Poorman said.
For more information about the MDA, visit their website at www.mda.org.