How did Razorback Baseball fans who attended the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska support the Full Circle Campus Food Pantry back on the University of Arkansas campus? Through the generous nature of a restaurant owner and buying lots of Jell-O shots.
Rocco’s Pizza and Cantina owner Kevin Culjat decided he would switch up his regular Jell-O shot challenge to include donating to the two universities whose fans purchased the most shots.
Customers were able to buy the shots for $4.50 each and select which school they wanted their shot to count toward. Arkansas came in second place with 8,672 shots, while Ole Miss took the lead with 18,777. Two dollars from each shot were donated to each school’s pantry, with the Full Circle Food Pantry on campus receiving a donation of more than $17,000.
“I have no doubt that had Arkansas stayed in the tournament until the Championship game, they would have won the contest,” Culjat said.
Claire Allison, director of the Center for Community Engagement, said she found out about the challenge after a friend sent her Rocco’s Facebook post. She said the shock quickly turned into excitement as the news spread and the community once again rallied to support Full Circle Pantry.
“We are so grateful to Rocco’s for turning this challenge into something so meaningful for our students and the folks we serve at Full Circle,” Allison said.
As for how the funds will be used, the Pantry staff are still outlining plans but have one initiative already in the works. This initiative is a new partnership between the Full Circle Food Pantry and the International Scholars and Students Office to provide 350 welcome bags for incoming international students. The bags will include some pantry staples and essentials to aid students through their transition to Fayetteville.
“The International Student Starter Pack is a project that is solely designed to help the incoming international students be nourished and welcomed at the University of Arkansas,” said Muhammad Ali Muhammad, an intern of the pantry and the student organizing this initiative. “The project promotes the message ‘You Belong Here’ and shows that the Volunteer Action Center is well aware to accept them into our community.”
While the Jell-O shot challenge isn’t new to Rocco’s, donating part of the proceeds to food pantries was. Restaurant owner Culjat said he came up with the idea one night after reflecting on being closed during the pandemic.
“You know, I was closed down for four months and had to borrow a bunch of money,” he said. “My wife and I were fortunate, we’re blessed. So, I woke her up at three in the morning and said ‘here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to take my profit, which is about 2 bucks a shot, and I’m going to donate it.’”
And while he could have kept all the profits, especially after being shut down for so long, Culjat said he understands food insecurity issues. As a former high school football coach, about 85 percent of his students had been on free or reduced lunch programs and he had helped some of them out before by buying them meals. So, when he found out that the U of A and Ole Miss have campus food pantries the donation was a no brainer for him.
Shortly after Culjat made the announcement, it exploded on social media and Rocco’s was even featured on ESPN. He said his biggest order was from one customer who ordered 2,000 Jell-O shots for Ole Miss and tipped the staff a thousand dollars.
Next year he wants to open it up to all eight teams in the College World Series. Culjat said it makes him happy to know that he is doing something to build onto and generate more donations for food to help students who need it.
“I got lucky with it this year,” he said. “I’m going to hammer the hell out of it next year.”