Mercer students raise money for food bank with Watermelon Bust

Here in Georgia, it doesn’t seem to matter how hot it is outside when watermelon is involved -- especially when it’s for a good cause.

More than 100 Mercer University students shrugged off temperatures in the mid-90s Friday afternoon to participate in the Watermelon Bust, an annual fundraiser organized by the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity to benefit the Middle Georgia Food Bank.

Austin Harrison, the fraternity’s president, said the national fraternity has held the event as long as anyone can remember.

“Each fraternity (chapter) does it its own way,” Harrison said. “Each of us has its own version. I’ve seen pictures dating back to the ‘70s and ‘60s.”

The Mercer chapter organized a mini-Olympics centered on more than 120 watermelons bought at a farmer’s market. In previous years, participation in the Watermelon Bust was open to the college’s sororities, but this year, any female Mercer student could take part, Harrison said.

Participants entered the Watermelon Bust with their teammates, battling in five events: best-painted watermelon; fastest-eaten; a watermelon toss; a relay race; and a tug of war, in which teams tried to drag each other into the broken remains of the watermelons used earlier.

Sophomore Amber Imam, who won the eating contest, said it’s the first time she’s been able to participate.

“It’s a really awesome event to be a part of,” she said. “I like eating real watermelon, not watermelon-flavored (foods). When I’m eating it, I quite enjoy it. I didn’t practice, but I kind of wish I did so I could have done it faster.”

Tyler Goubeaux, a sophomore member of the fraternity that organized the event, said last year’s Watermelon Bust raised enough money to buy more than 12,000 pounds of food for the food bank.

“We get (donations) that are a mix of money and food,” he said. “We take both, but we prefer money because for every dollar we raise, we can buy 10 pounds of food.”

Sophomore Miranda Bray said she enjoyed her first time in the competition.

“I love supporting other organizations on campus,” she said. “I think it’s really fun. I’m having a great time.”

This story was originally published September 12, 2014 at 7:34 PM with the headline "Mercer students raise money for food bank with Watermelon Bust ."