MGCC Concludes 'Miles for Meals 2026' Campaign
Over 5,000 Donations Secured To Support Students |
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Clifton Forge, VA (Oct. 7, 2026) - Mountain Gateway Community College (MGCC) has officially concluded its 9th annual 2026 "Miles for Meals" campaign, uniting staff and faculty to promote personal wellness while actively fighting student food insecurity. Participants logged a collective 2,993.59 miles—a distance equivalent to walking from Clifton Forge to the northern tip of South America—and secured 5,152 total donations to support students through the remainder of the fall semester.
The annual initiative encourages employees to engage in cardiovascular exercises that improve heart health, strengthen bones and joints, and relieve stress, all while raising vital resources for campus food programs.
Campaign Impact
• Total Distance Logged: 2,993.59 miles accumulated across participating teams.
• Total Donations Collected: 5,152 total contributions, consisting of 4,497 non-perishable food items and $655 in monetary donations.
• Direct Student Support: All food and monetary contributions directly supply the Roadrunner Café, which provides free, ready-made meals and snacks to students at both the Clifton Forge campus and the Buena Vista location.
Category Award Winners
MGCC celebrates the exceptional dedication of this year’s top-performing team categories:
• Miles Winner (Most Distance Logged): Mountain Mamas team of Rachael Thompson, Tina Dressler, and Lee Anne Bowling with 562 miles.
• Meals Winner (Most Donations Collected): Rockbridge Regional Cuties team of Sherryl Thorman, Kristyn Hoy, and Jessica Wise with 1,593 meals.
By addressing food insecurity directly, the Miles for Meals initiative ensures that MGCC students have access to essential nutrition without barriers throughout their academic journey.
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ABOUT MGCC: Founded in 1962 and located in the Alleghany Highlands region of Central Virginia, Mountain Gateway Community College (MGCC) is a two-year public institution of higher education and one of 23 community colleges in Virginia. Mountain Gateway Community College operates two educational campuses, the Clifton Forge campus and the Rockbridge Regional Center in Buena Vista. MGCC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees.
Mountain Gateway Community College is supported by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the counties of Alleghany, Bath, Northern Botetourt, and Rockbridge; the cities of Buena Vista, Covington, and Lexington. For more information about Mountain Gateway Community College, please visit MGCC.edu
|  | Mountain Mamas Team: from left Rachael Thompson, Tina Dressler, and Lee Anne Bowling.
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|  | Rockbridge Regional Cuties Team: Sherryl Thorman, Kristyn Hoy, and Jessica Wise.
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|  | Some donated items...
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