Fairview football team, volunteers put together 8,000 backpacks of food for Huddle Against Hunger

NASHVILLE — Fairview football players helped bring in more than 5,900 food donations during a food drive this school year.

Williamson County football program was part of 500 volunteers and NFL Draft prospects on Wednesday who put together 8,000 backpacks full of food for those in need as part of a Huddle Against Hunger event held at Nissan Stadium.

The backpacks were scheduled to be distributed on Friday in Nashville.

"It's an awesome experience for our kids," Fairview coach Chris Hughes said. "To be around the NFL Draft experience and around these guys that are going to be in the NFL one day.

"It's something they are going to always remember."

Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk assisted in packaging backpacks as did NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

The Titans donated $100,000 to nonprofits that help fight hunger in Nashville. Strunk presented $50,000 checks to both The Bridge Ministry and Second Harvest Food Bank Middle Tennessee.

"It's an opportunity for the Titans and the NFL to give back to our community," Strunk said. "I'm just very proud of what our team does every day. Anything we can do to be part of the community and give back, it's a win-win for us."

Hughes said Fairview's football team took the local food drive serious earlier this year, knowing they could win an opportunity to participate in the draft event.

"We gave 5,900 items to GraceWorks Ministries in Fairview, Tennessee, and we still have a couple boxes at school because we had a couple people drop off boxes late," Hughes said. "It was the competition. When I told the kids they had a chance to come here, the food started rolling in.

"It's a great thing that they took a lot of pride in trying to win."

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.