USC’s oldest service organization turns 75 


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Pass the Can will raise funds for the organization’s week-long summer camp, which services around 200 third through fifth graders. (Photo courtesy of Troy Camp)

Troy Camp, the University’s oldest and largest service organization, is holding its annual “Pass the Can” fundraiser at tomorrow’s homecoming football game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. 

The fundraiser began in the 1960s and has been an annual tradition of the club ever since. During the event, club members, alongside volunteers, help pass milk jugs across the stadium to raise money. 

“Pass the Can is by far our biggest and most recognizable event,” said Soham Saxena, co-executive director of the organization and a senior majoring in economics and political science. 

The organization will also celebrate its 75th anniversary next year — prompting their new fundraising goal of $75,000 to commemorate the landmark. According to Saxena, Troy Camp raised roughly $68,000 last year.

Funds raised from Pass the Can will go towards the organization’s week-long summer camp geared towards third through fifth graders. 

“We’re also unique in that because we’re a student organization, we have no administrative or salary costs,” said Saxena. “It’s not like money’s coming in and being used to pay for people’s salaries. It’s going directly towards events and things that are utilized for the kids we serve.”

Troy Camp is accepting volunteers to participate and help in Pass the Can, who can be students or non-USC students as long as they are over the age of 18, or accompanied by an adult if not. Anyone who volunteers receives a free ticket to the football game along with a T-shirt. Volunteers will check in in front of Mudd Hall before the game to receive their ticket, shirt and training on what to do. 

As director of fundraising for Pass the Can in Troy Camp, Joy Jaensubhakij manages all the sponsorships for the fundraiser and organizes all key aspects of the event itself. 

“We’re really excited about the amount of people who have signed up to volunteer and help out and just getting to show the USC community what Troy Camp’s all about,” said Jaensubhakij, a junior majoring in theater. 

Fundraising for Pass the Can traditionally involves putting cash or coins into the milk jugs, but since many people do not carry around cash anymore, the club has adapted and also includes online payment options. 

Troy Camp is dedicated to providing long-term mentorship along with academic enrichment services to the youth in the South Los Angeles area near campus — they work with around 900 students and end up taking about 200 to summer camp. 

Troy Camp is accepting volunteers to participate and help in Pass the Can, who do not have to be USC students as long as they are 18 years old. Volunteers will receive a free ticket to the football game and a t-shirt. (Photo courtesy of Troy Camp)

“I think that everything we do comes back to the long-term mentorship we provide,” PJ Hughes, a co-executive director of Troy Camp and a senior majoring in economics, said. “That’s our entire mission — inspiring curiosity and offering a helping hand to kids who we genuinely care about more than anything.”

The organization works with students throughout a variety of age ranges, from elementary school all the way up to high school. Due to this, some students that the Troy Camp counselors work with end up being in the program for over eight to 10 years. 

“Mentorship is something that I fully believe in,” Hughes said. “It’s these long-term bonds that are rather difficult for people to get in college a lot of the time, but I think are super amazing and really help kind of connect USC to the local community.”

This is the first year Troy Camp has had their programming fully in person since before the coronavirus pandemic, so they have completely relaunched the program to be the way it was before. 

“It is a huge deal for us,” Saxena said. “It’s really important that we raise as much as we can because everything’s more expensive now and we want to be able to provide our kids with as many amazing experiences as possible.”