Fare Fight For Food Challenge

Miriam Johnson, the marketing director at the Tamarack Centre. — Photo courtesy Keith Powell

Bentall Kennedy today launched its Fare Fight For Food Challenge, a national initiative that will partner Bentall Kennedy-managed shopping centres in 17 locations across Canada with local food banks.

During the next eight months, Tamarack Centre and the Cranbrook Food Bank Society will host special events and promotions to raise awareness about hunger in our communities and across our country. Tamarack Centre will also compete against other participating malls across Canada for funds raised and pounds of food collected. Winners will be given one of five $10,000 grants, to be donated to the winner’s partner food bank.  

“In Canada, food bank usage is on the rise and Bentall Kennedy is determined to make a difference in the communities in which we live and work,” said John Minas, vice-president of retail services east.

Food Banks Canada’s website indicates that each month, close to 900,000 Canadians are assisted by food banks, and 38 per cent of those helped are children and youth. 

“Our goal is to raise $75,000 and collect 20,000 pounds of food during our national challenge” said Minas. 

One hundred per cent of the proceeds collected during fundraising will go to the partner food banks across Canada. The shopping centre that raises the most money will earn its partner food bank an additional $10,000.
 
Other grant categories include: Most amount of money fundraised per shopping centre square foot; Most amount of non-perishable food collected (by weight); Highest amount of corporate/business/service club monetary donation received; and lastly, Most amount of shopper/supporter email addresses collected from the national online contest.

“Each shopping centre will designate a high-traffic area to bring attention to our campaign; look for our display at each participating mall,” said Tony Segaric, vice-president of  retail services west. “We will showcase our goal progress, adding excitement and a little friendly competition to our national challenge!”

For more information about Bentall Kennedy’s Fare Fight For Food campaign, visit the website. Organizers encourage everyone to enter the online contest for a chance to win groceries for a year (a $3,000 value) and support their local food bank.


Current participating shopping centres and benefiting food banks

Capilano Mall (North Vancouver, BC)                 Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society
Driftwood Mall (Courtenay, BC)                         Comox Valley Food Bank Society
Tamarack Centre (Cranbrook, BC)                   Cranbrook Food Bank Society
Park & Tilford (North Vancouver BC)                  Harvest Project
Village Green Mall (Vernon, BC)                         Vernon Food Bank
Westshore Town Centre (Langford BC)              Goldstream Food Bank
Willowbrook Shopping Centre (Langley, BC)       Langley Food Bank
Bower Place (Red Deer, AB)                             Red Deer Food Bank Society
North Hill Centre (Calgary, AB)                          Calgary Interfaith Food Bank Society
Oliver Square / Village (Edmonton, AB)              Edmonton Food Bank
Cloverdale Mall (Etobicoke, ON)                         Daily Bread Food Bank
Sheridan Centre (Mississauga, ON)                   Mississauga Food Bank
Milton Mall (Milton, ON)                                     Salvation Army Khi Community Food Bank
Westmount Shopping Centre (London, ON)        London Food Bank
Windsor Crossing (LaSalle, ON)                        Essex Area Food Bank
Hazeldean Mall (Kanata, ON)                             Kanata Food Bank
10 Dundas East (Toronto,ON)                           The Salvation Army Railside Centre