Home > 2025 > Student Donates Sodexo Sweepstakes Prize to Tiger's Den Food Pantry

Student Donates Sodexo Sweepstakes Prize to Tiger's Den Food Pantry

Contact: Crystal Drake, Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing 

Student contest winner and university student administrators at the Tiger's DenDaryl Cossey, a senior Mechanical Engineering major, was recently named one of 10 winners in Sodexo’s “Let Them Cook Sweepstakes,” which includes $1,250 charitable donations to a food-related charity of each student’s choice. Daryl selected Tiger's Den Food Pantry, a campus outreach program launched by students in 2019 to address food insecurity and increase healthy food options.
 
“My classmates have been a rock for me during my matriculation at Tuskegee, so I wanted to make sure I gave something back to them,” Daryl said, adding that using the pantry has helped him see the value of cooking at home with healthier ingredients.  “You will always have a family and a support system around you – that’s Tuskegee.” 
 
In addition to securing the donation for the pantry, Daryl will receive a $575 Williams Sonoma gift card to purchase kitchen gadgets, appliances, or virtual cooking classes.
 
A ceremony announcing Daryl’s award was held at 1881 Heritage Table, Tuskegee’s student dining hall which underwent a major refresh earlier in the year through a partnership with SodexoMagic, a joint venture between Magic Johnson Enterprises and Sodexo Inc.
 
Featured at more than 600 Sodexo-managed colleges and universities nationwide, Sodexo’s fall resident dining promotion series included several enjoyable events for students in addition to the Let Them Cook Sweepstakes. Two core dining showcase events, Deja New and That’s So Extra, were filled with new twists on the food, music, and entertainment of days gone by and celebrated morning magic with all-day versions of traditional breakfast and brunch cuisine.
 
“Daryl is intentional about how he shows up for others. He’s a great example of student leadership when it comes to supporting the Tiger’s Den Food Pantry,” said Tameka A. Harper, MPA, Dean of Students and faculty advisor to the pantry program. “He’s really seen the need and the impact up close. When students look beyond themselves and their own needs, when they step up to give back to Mother Tuskegee, that’s something worth celebrating.”

   

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