The Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group is holding a clothing drive this week, jumpstarting the spring cleaning season while helping those in need.

The clothing drive will run from today until March 10 in Sellery Residence Hall.

According to UW sophomore Sam Meyer, who organized the drive, there will be donation bins on every floor of Sellery Hall.

As an incentive, she said there will be a competition between the floors with the winning floor getting a free pizza party. She added the group is still looking for a pizza donor but is working on a possible deal with Topper?s to provide the prize.

Meyer said the timing was right for a clothing drive, with winter on its way out and spring on its way in.

?It?s just two weeks before spring break, and I thought people probably have clothes they want to get rid of,? Meyer said. ?There are so many homeless people; we thought maybe a clothes drive would be a good thing.?

The donations will go to the St. Vincent de Paul’s charity. Meyer said she chose St. Vincent?s because they regularly donate large amounts of clothes to the needy. She added they were also very helpful in organizing the collection.

?St. Vincent de Paul?s provides trucks to pick up the clothes and also the collecting bins,? Meyer said. ?They have good experience with clothes drives and what to do with all of the clothes.?

According to Meyer, this week?s clothing drive will be ?a test drive for other dorms.? She said if all goes well, WISPIRG would be holding more clothing drives in other dorms this spring.

She added there are tentative plans already in the works to hold a drive in Kronshage Residence Hall if the Sellery Hall drive works well.

UW freshman Scott Bartholomew, a resident of Sellery Hall, said he thinks the drive is a good idea. He added he would donate even without the incentive of free pizza.

?Yeah, I?d probably donate because it?s just important to donate regardless of whether you get anything back,? Bartholomew said. ?There?s people out here who need stuff really bad.?