LMU-DCOM Penny Wars to help feed hungry in East Tennessee

The Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) is a student organization at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM). For two years in a row SOMA has organized a friendly competition among the LMU-DCOM students called “Penny Wars.” Each physician who teaches at LMU-DCOM is part of a patient care interaction course in which students work one-on-one with the physicians. We placed a jar representing each of the doctors in front of our auditoriums, which serve as the main classrooms in the LMU-DCOM building. Students, faculty and staff all donated to the fundraiser. Change dropped into a physician’s jar equaled positive points and dollar bills dropped into a physician’s jar equaled negative points. The idea was to “vote” for the winner by putting as much change as possible into that person’s jar, while putting as many dollar bills as possible into the opponent’s jars. The fundraiser ran for two weeks, with students, faculty and staff all participating. This year alone, SOMA raised over $700 to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee.


The mission of LMU-DCOM is to serve the underserved people of this region, and the fundraiser for Second Harvest was another way that we as students could put this mission into action.

Thank you SOMA and LMU-DCOM for your continued support of Second Harvest Food Bank. Through your efforts thousands of individuals are now receiving meals. On behalf of each person benefiting from your hard work and kindness, we say THANK YOU!