The Iron Bowl is now a week away and The Selma Times-Journal is issuing a challenge to the fan bases of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers.

In an effort to help local food pantries, the Times-Journal is calling on fans of the two teams to bring canned food items to the newspaper between Friday at 8 a.m. through Tuesday, Nov. 23, at noon.

The fan base that brings in the most canned food items will be rewarded with a full, color page poster honoring their team in the Times-Journal’s Thanksgiving Day edition.

“We wanted to create a little competition between the two fan bases to help bring in some much-needed items for our area food pantries,” Times-Journal editor Tim Reeves said. “This time of year places a lot of demand on the charities in our area and we just wanted to do a little something to help out.”

Fans may bring canned food items into the Times-Journal’s office, 1018 Water Ave., between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Newspaper employees will record the number of cans donated and keep a running tally of just which fan base has donated more — Alabama or Auburn.

“I know as a fan of one of the teams, I don’t want to wake up Thanksgiving morning and see the other team’s poster staring at me,” Reeves said. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure my team is represented and I know others are as well.”

The donated food will be delivered to area charities following Thanksgiving to be distributed to needy families in advance of Christmas.

For more information on the Times-Journal’s food drive, call (334) 875-2110.