EDMONTON- If you’re planning on heading down to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Edmonton Eskimos take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders Saturday, the Eskimos are asking for your help.
“We’re encouraging all fans coming to the game to bring a non-perishable food donation, or monetary donation,” said Callie Scott, a sponsorship specialist with Purolator.
It’s all part of the 11th annual Purolator Tackle Hunger Football Game. All donations will be given to Edmonton’s Food Bank.
During last year’s Tackle Hunger game, fans donated 116,000 pounds of food. Organizers hope to break that record this year by collecting heavy items, which Scott says coincides with what the Food Bank really needs.
“Your protein, your canned beans, your peanut butter. Baby food is actually one thing the Food Bank’s definitely need; a lot of people forget about that. The Food Banks do support new mothers,” she explained.
Each month, approximately 14,000 people receive hampers from Edmonton’s Food Bank. It also distributes food for more than 350,000 meals and snacks each month. Approximately 44 per cent of clients served are children under the age of 18.
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Scott says Edmontonians have long been huge supporters of this initiative, and have led the country in donations since 2003.
“They’ve done over 660,000 pounds of food since then. We know that they love this program.”
Fans who donate will have the opportunity to have their picture taken with the Grey Cup, which will be stationed at Gate 9. The Edmonton Eskimos will also be raffling off a signed Mike Reilly jersey.
Donations will be collected at every gate at Commonwealth from 11:30 a.m. until the end of the first quarter.
After combining the food and monetary donations- each dollar was converted into a pound- the final tally from Saturday’s game was the equivalent of 112,000 pounds.
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