Elaine Lopez, assistant manager of the ticket office for special events at New Mexico State University, was recently named one of 19 randomly selected winners in the “Pedal Forward, Give Back Sweepstakes” contest by Sodexo as part of its fall resident dining promotion series.

Students, faculty and staff across the nation had the chance to win one of 19 $500 donations in the national prize sweepstakes, which is centered on building a positive movement and taking steps towards positive change.

The donations can be gifted to the winner’s campus food pantry or a local hunger-related charity.

Lopez chose Aggie Cupboard, NMSU’s food pantry, as her charity beneficiary. She has been a part of the Aggie community for more than 20 years, and said she’s seen students struggle in various ways, including not knowing where their next meals will come from.

“Having been blessed to work with many wonderful students at NMSU has allowed me to see how much the Aggie Cupboard has helped many people here,” Lopez said. “The choice to pick Aggie Cupboard was just too easy for me, because I feel I can help them help others in a time of need, right in my own community here at NMSU."

“The donation was a complete surprise and very humbling. Our program is successful due to our supporters,” said Amanda Nunez, director of Aggie Cupboard, which is part of NMSU Social Services. “Seeing that there are individuals who recognize the importance of our program helps me know that we are making an impact in helping those who find themselves in tough situations. There are definitely different organizations that Elaine could have picked, so seeing that ours was chosen makes me feel very honored. We at the Aggie Cupboard are very thankful to Elaine."

Lopez will also receive two cruiser bikes as a bonus – one for her to keep and one to give to a friend.

Sodexo’s fall resident dining promotion series was featured at more than 600 Sodexo-managed colleges and universities nationwide. The Pedal Forward, Give Back Sweepstakes is one of many events for students in the series. Others included two core dining showcase events, Harvest GrEATings and Planet EAT, which featured gratitude-focused activities and fresh fall favorites as well as pizza.