COVID-challenged Business Cares Food Drive gets early $48K boost
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This year’s Business Cares Food Drive hasn’t even started, but London’s business community already is showing support for the annual campaign that fights hunger in the city.
On Thursday, the London Chamber of Commerce donated more than $48,000 to the drive that taps businesses to help raise food and money for the London Food Bank.
The money was raised after more than 800 people who bought tickets to the chamber’s Business Achievement Awards gala, cancelled in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and held virtually in September, donated the meal portion of their ticket to the cause.
“I have to say I’m very proud of our members and those guests who decided to do that,” said Gerry Macartney, the chamber’s chief executive. “I think it demonstrates the care and concern they have for their community.”
It was the perfect soft launch for a drive that runs for three weeks in December and faces big challenges this year, said campaign chairperson Wayne Dunn.
“This will go a long way giving this campaign a big boost to begin with.”
More than 300 businesses took part in last year’s campaign, helping raise the equivalent of 200,000 kilograms of food, between in-kind contributions and more than $300,000 in cash donations. Proceeds support the local food bank and clients of more than two dozen organizations and agencies in London, including the Anova women’s shelter and My Sisters’ Place.
This year, the drive won’t set a target, but Dunn said organizers are committed to helping raise as much food as possible. “We are going to make it work one way or another.”
Though the pandemic all but rules out in-person fundraisers, Macartney said he hopes others will be inspired to find creative ways to contribute.
“Hopefully it’ll motivate others to think similarly that we’ve got a lot of people in our community that will go without food unless we look after them.”
