This weekend’s game against Kansas means different things to different people — to the ISU coaches’ wives, it means that it’s time to hold their fifth annual Kick in Cash for the Community food drive.

The coaches’ wives, along with the help of the Sigma Lambda Gamma Alumni Association, will be asking for donations prior to the game to benefit local charities.

“We’re hoping for a great turnout this year,” said Nina Grant, wife of wide receivers coach Mike Grant. “This is our fifth time around, and we want this to be the best one yet.”

This event might sound familiar, but it was under the name of “Can Kansas/Kansas State.”

It is the same event, but the name was changed because there have been more cash donations than canned food items given in recent years.

“We used to ask just for canned foods, but not everyone remembers to bring them or likes to carry around cans in their pockets, so as a result, we’ve gotten increasingly more cash donations. But we still accept cans,” Grant said.

One thing the wives have decided to do this year is go out into the tailgating areas and ask for donations instead of just at the entrance gates.

“We want to try and reach as many people as we can, and we figured that going to the tailgaters was a great idea,” said Betsy Nelson, wife of defensive line coach Mike Nelson.

Nelson said they will venture into the tailgating lots around 11 a.m. — student lots included — before setting up by the entrance gates about 30 minutes before kickoff.

“Can you imagine how much money we could raise for local food banks if everybody chipped in a dollar or two? It would be more than enough to get them through the holiday season,” Nelson said.

All proceeds will be split between Mid Iowa Community Action and Bethesda Lutheran food bank.

“With the holiday season approaching, the food banks really can use all they can get,” Nelson said.