Summer Games Serves Initiative to Benefit SUU HOPE Pantry
Published: June 04, 2025 | Read Time: 2 minutes
CEDAR CITY, Utah (June 3, 2025) - The second year of the Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games Summer Games Serves, presented by the UServe Utah initiative will feature an exciting new addition. The SUU HOPE Pantry will have a booth at this year’s Utah Summer Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games Block Party, presented by KSL 5 TV, which will take place on Friday, June 6 from 5 - 8 p.m. at the SUU Practice Field (located west of Eccles Coliseum). Those attending the block party will have the opportunity to stop by the HOPE Pantry booth to make donations and help SUU students for the upcoming school year. The booth will also have complimentary stickers and opportunities for prize packages.
"Almost half of all SUU students struggle with food insecurity each school year,” said Pam Branin, Director of the SUU HOPE Pantry. “Being able to provide a campus pantry makes a huge difference, as students often reflect, 'the pantry saved me.’ We're so grateful to the Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games and the Summer Games Serves initiative, as each donation makes a difference for a struggling student."
Block party attendees can support the SUU HOPE Pantry and students facing food insecurity for the 2025-26 academic year by bringing any of the following food donations:
- Bags of rice
- Pasta and pasta sauce
- Canned meats (chicken, tuna)
- Ready-to-eat soups
- Full-size toiletry items (soap, shampoo, deodorant, etc.).
Donations will be accepted at the SUU HOPE Pantry booth until 8 p.m. the evening of June 6.
“We are very grateful to continue to work with the SUU HOPE Pantry to ‘help our people eat’ on the SUU campus throughout the year,” said Jon Oglesby, Executive Director of the Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games. “The Summer Games Serves initiative has been elevated by the tremendous support of UServe Utah and the Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement this year, and we are hopeful to see Summer Games Serves participants help positively impact the battle against food insecurity in the southern Utah community.”
The Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games Block Party, presented by KSL 5 TV on June 6 will also feature State Bank of Southern Utah, Visit Cedar City/Brian Head, the NFL Las Vegas Raiders, Parents Empowered, KSL 5 TV, the Zone Sports Network, 99.9 KONY Country and other USG sponsors.
The Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games Opening Ceremony, presented by State Bank of Southern Utah will follow the block party with doors to the Eccles Coliseum opening at 8 p.m. The opening ceremony will feature the largest fireworks show in Utah Summer Games history, and the music of Neon Circus - a Brooks-and-Dunn tribute band. Tickets for the opening ceremony are on sale at TBirdTickets.com.
More information on the Utah Summer Games schedule can be found at UtahSummerGames.org.
Tags: Cedar City Student Utah Summer Games Community
Contact Information:
Brooke Heath
435-586-5400
brookeheath1@suu.edu