Record-breaking return for OC Transpo Food Drive
Posted Dec 5, 2011 12:56:49 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was all smiles as Santa Claus backed a bus-load of food up to the doors of the Ottawa Food Bank’s warehouse.
A string of volunteers, some managers at local Loblaws, Your Independent Grocers and Real Canadian Super Stores, helped unload each box off the Santa bus.
The OC Transpo food drive collected over 168-thousand pounds of food on Saturday, making this the largest single-day donation in the Food Bank’s history.
“This is absolutely an amazing result,” said Councillor Diane Deans. “I feel like we just ran a marathon and just crossed the finish line in a new record time.”
Deans thanked the more than 400 volunteers who helped collect the food.
“This is no mean feat to collect the most food ever for the Food Bank in a single day,” she said. “I know it will go to a good cause, and lots of needy families in our community will be well-served every day of the year because of the efforts.”
This was the 27th edition of the drive, and Food Bank Executive Director Peter Tilley says the generosity of people across the city is astounding.
“This is an unbelievable city with unbelievable spirit,” said Tilley.
“This is a huge boost to this community,” he said. “As you know, the City of Ottawa is our biggest supporter with funding, but still, that only accounts for 10 per cent of our resources. The other 90 per cent has to come from this community.”
Each month the Ottawa Food Bank helps feed over 45-thousand people in need, 37 per cent of which are children.
