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CORVALLIS - Mid-Willamette Valley charities received a boost from 1,900 Oregon State University residence hall students leaving town for the summer.

Students participating in OSU's fourth annual "Summer Close-out" donated 292 barrels of goods, including: 713 pounds of food donated to Linn Benton Food Share; 4,640 pounds of clothing donated to the Assistance League and Goodwill Industries; and 240 barrels of recyclable items processed by Campus Recycling and picked up by Corvallis Disposal and the Garten Foundation.

"In addition to helping out local charities, the drive helps reduce the amount of refuse that fills OSU's dumpsters at the end of the school year," said David Garcia, OSU campus recycling coordinator.

In all, 44,000 pounds, or 23 pounds per student, were diverted from the landfill, Garcia said.

Forty-eight barrels were collected during the first year in 1993.

"During the last three years, participation in the program has grown dramatically," Garcia said.

This last year, the university also boosted its recycling program by putting recycling stations on every floor of each residence hall. These stations contributed to a record 335,600 pounds, or 174 pounds per student, donated and recycled in the residence halls from September to June.

The close-out was sponsored by Student Housing, the Residence Hall Association, Campus Recycling, Corvallis Disposal, the Assistance League, Goodwill Industries and Linn Benton Food Share.