Healthy Students Brighter Ontario Campaign Raises over $5M for Student Nutrition Programs

Montreal, February 26, 2021 — A whole new breed of fundraiser made its debut on Saturday, when Breakfast Club of Canada connected virtually with the community as part of a unique online charity event. Canadian platform fundky.live gave audiences the chance to tune into live game action and even have a real-time impact on how things played out on screen. For every donation, spectators received points they could redeem to introduce specific items or monsters into the game. This is the first time this kind of fundraiser has ever been held in Canada.

For the occasion, gamer MsSekky settled in for a 12-hour Minecraft marathon to benefit Breakfast Club of Canada. Spectators could either sit back and watch the adventure unfold or actually get involved by making a donation. In exchange for their contribution, they could influence what happened in the game, for example by purchasing a sword for MsSekky or sending in zombies to keep her on her toes. The initial fundraising target of feeding one child for one year was reached only an hour into the event.

“I had such a great time. Twelve hours of gaming may seem like a lot to some people, but when you’re in it and you have no idea what’s coming next, it just flies by,” said MsSekky. “What I really love is that everyone got into the experience. People who had never played Minecraft in their life were sending me zombies. I would definitely do it all over again.”

The ultimate goal was to raise enough money to feed as many children in Canada as possible, based on the fact that it costs 5 per child per year to run a breakfast program. All proceeds went straight to the Club, and a charitable receipt was automatically issued to donors.

“I decided to do this for the Club because I believe in the importance of education. When children start their school day on a full stomach, there’s a better chance they’ll do well, and that’s amazing,” said MsSekky. “I used to go to a program like that myself back in elementary school. I remember really enjoying it. I have some wonderful memories of those times, so I’d like to make sure that children today can have that same experience in their life.”

To watch a replay of the event: https://fundky.live/en/stream/260/the-fuffle-squad-brickfest.

Initial goal: 5

Total raised: ,519

• 800+ breakfasts
• 500% more than planned

All to help Breakfast Club of Canada.

About Breakfast Club of Canada

Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance, the Club provides much more than breakfast: its approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development using an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 257,000 children and youth in 1,887 schools across the country. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About MsSekky

MsSekky is a Canadian gamer in the Twitch community. She chose to give to Breakfast Club of Canada because she herself received support from a breakfast program when she was younger. She is committed to doing her part to give back. https://www.twitch.tv/mssekky

About Fundky LIVE

Fundky.live is the first Canadian platform for online live fundraising (charity streams). Fundky.live makes it possible to live-stream content from YouTube, Twitch and Zoom while collecting donations online in real time. Fundky offers virtual auctions, peer-to-peer campaigns, third-party campaigns, ticket sales and other fundraising products via a single, interconnected suite, enabling a seamless experience for charitable organizations and donors. Fundky is a product of ODE Technologies Inc. Learn more at fundky.com or follow Fundky on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter.

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For more information and interview requests:

Nathalie Rochette

Communications Director

Breakfast Club of Canada

nathalie.rochette@breakfastclubcanada.org

514-404-5660

Jade Bourdages

Managing Director

ODE Technologies – Fundky

jade.bourdages@odetechnologies.com

514-294-6166

Government of Canada had previously announced multimillion-dollar funding package to ensure children and families will continue to have access to food throughout the pandemic

Montreal, December 18, 2020 — Today, the Government of Canada revealed the details of a 0-million funding package to continue its commitment to supporting children and families experiencing food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of .5 million has been allocated to Breakfast Club of Canada through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to feed students across the country. Today’s announcement builds on funding previously announced in April and October 2020 for food banks and local food organizations, including Breakfast Club of Canada.

“Some 250,000 students usually depend on the Club and its partners for a healthy breakfast every school morning, but the total number of children and youth across the country affected by food insecurity is now greater than 2 million,” said Daniel Germain, President and Founder of Breakfast Club of Canada. “We are extremely grateful to be receiving this funding from the Government of Canada to continue to meet the growing demand. At the start of the new school year, breakfast program attendance was up 30% on average across the country and the waitlist for such programs keeps growing.”

The funding committed today will help the Club and its partners support the children who use school food programs across the country. Currently, one in three children starts their school day hungry. The safety measures and necessary program adaptations require additional investment to ensure that children can be delivered meals safely.

Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity and increased the number of children and families who need support. This funding will allow Breakfast Club of Canada to reach 200,000 more children before September 2021.

As Canada looks to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic, a National School Food Program will be the most effective and sustainable way to fully address the issue of student food insecurity in Canada. Breakfast Club of Canada and its partners look forward to working with the government to make a National School Food Program a reality and making child hunger in Canada a thing of the past. Altogether, in spring and summer2020, the Club and its community partners helped to deliver nutritious food to more than 2 million people, including close to 700,000 children.

About Breakfast Club of Canada

Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance, the Club provides much more than breakfast: its approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development using an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 257,000 children and youth in 1,887 schools across the country. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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For more information and interview requests:

Nathalie Rochette
Communications Director
Breakfast Club of Canada
nathalie.rochette@breakfastclubcanada.org
514-404-5660

Justine Plourde
Communications Advisor, Public Relations
Breakfast Club of Canada
justine.plourde@breakfastclubcanada.org
1-888-442-1217, ext. 3369

Results focus on Club’s priorities of advancing child and youth food nutrition and building communities capacity to help

Montreal, November 27, 2020 — For 26 years, Breakfast Club of Canada has been working hard to allow all children and youth to develop to their full potential. To better assess the direct impacts and objectives of the Club’s approach for breakfast program success, the Club launched a three-year social impact study. During the first year, the Club created the framework to identify and evaluate two main objectives that ensure the greatest impact: The advancement of the cause for mitigating food insecurity, and the reinforcement of communities’ capabilities to help.

“Over the years, the Club’s strategies were developed organically, evolving with our learnings and experiences,” says Judith Barry, Co-Founder and Director of Impacts and Sustainable Solutions at Breakfast Club of Canada. “Our contribution to breakfast programs is supporting school communities in their efforts, but because the needs are greater than ever, we wanted to magnify the impacts of our actions to give even more Canadian children a nutritious breakfast every morning. The national consultation that has been carried out in the past months helped us identify the key elements of success, the ones that most benefit children and our stakeholders.”

The data collected during interviews in the first phase of the study shows that the following aspects are most important to the Club’s school nutrition collaborators:

• The Club has the potential to play a crucial role in the national advancement of the cause by working closely with communities across the country.
• The Club has the potential to carry its stakeholders’ voices and realities to ensure all implicated partners adapt their support to local community needs.
• The Club’s collaborators have reported their greater need for resources and agility to help them amplify the reach and potential of their nutrition program.

These first key-learnings will be verified in the coming months through consultations with the Club’s stakeholders to measure how the organization’s support models meet the needs and expectations of the communities.

“Beyond supporting our schools and community partners feeding children every morning, we want to ensure that our contribution really answers the need,” emphasizes Marie-Josée Lapratte, co-director of programs at Breakfast Club of Canada. “By better understanding our place in the ecosystem, we want to reinforce the strengths of our local approach to increase the national impact of breakfast programs.”

On November 27, 2019, Breakfast Club of Canada announced the launch of this first impact study, generously funded through belairdirect’s partnership with the Club and conducted by CREDO, to better assess the direct results, see beyond the benefits of breakfast and allow the Club to adjust its approach to focus efforts where they can add value. With this information, the Club will capitalize on its strengths to maximize its impacts and, if necessary, refocus actions to create the most value for the Club’s network. The next steps in the impact evaluation will allow the Club to understand how the current approach serves the cause of child food insecurity and allow the organization to move closer to its ultimate goal of ensuring all Canadian children have access to a nutritious breakfast every morning.

About Breakfast Club of Canada

Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance, the Club provides much more than breakfast: its approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development using an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 257,000 children and youth in 1,887 schools across the country. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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For more information or to schedule interviews with a Breakfast Club of Canada spokesperson, please contact:

Tatianna Ducklow |587-897-7430 | tducklow@argylepr.com

Montreal, November 19, 2020 – Breakfast Club of Canada (BCC) wishes to thank all its generous donors and partners. While the pandemic is having a major impact on the economy and business activities, the support shown to BCC has not diminished. This support is needed more than ever as food insecurity continues to rise, motivating the Club to set the most ambitious campaign goal in its 25-year history:  million. Thanks to its loyal donors and partners, Breakfast Club of Canada succeeded in raising a record .7 million to fight food insecurity that affects more than 2 million children in the country every day.

“We are honoured to have the support of Canadians as more and more families, businesses and organizations face problems in the current situation,” acknowledged BCC General Manager Tommy Kulczyk. “We want to take this opportunity to thank our generous donors who, like us, make children’s health, nutrition and education a priority.”

The funds raised will go to support the 250,000 children who use breakfast programs across the country and help meet ever-growing demand, which translates to one in three children arriving hungry at school every morning. Complying with the measures set forth by public health authorities has resulted in a significant increase in costs, especially costs related to food. Despite the record amount collected, these funds will not be enough to meet the need, given the huge impact of the pandemic on the household finances of Canadians, families in particular.

To ensure that the nutritional needs of children are met, the Club works to raise awareness among the country’s policy-makers, advocating for them to make children’s nutrition a priority. Asserting the needs and rights of children is especially important, given that Canada is the only G7 country not to have a national school food program. BCC represented Canada this week at the Global Child Nutrition Forum, stressing the urgency of implementing such a program.

To help establish solid foundations on which to build a national school food program, the Club is rallying financial allies from all spheres of activity. BCC is thankful for all of the financial donations and commitments received to support our mission and would like to acknowledge the following major donors for their generosity during this back-to-school campaign:

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• Air Canada Foundation
• Amazon Canada
• belairdirect
• Staples Canada/Bureau en gros
• General Mills
• NexGen Energy Ltd
• Rio Tinto
• Save-On-Foods
• The Royal Canadian Mint
• Walmart Canada

Lending their voices and influence, six businesswomen dedicated to children’s academic success and nutrition were part of a newly created campaign cabinet. The Club thanks them for their invaluable contributions to the campaign:

• Joan Kelley Walker, Chair of the Breakfast Club of Canada Back-to-School Campaign Cabinet; Journalist, Philanthropist and Host
• Shelley Mayer, Founder and President, Ramp Communications
• Gail Nyberg, former Executive Director, Daily Bread Food Bank
• Anne Fortin, Senior Vice President of Direct Distribution and Chief Marketing Officer, Intact Financial Corporation
• Isabelle Rayle-Doiron, Vice-President, Public Affairs, and General Counsel, Danone
• Brett Clapperton, Director, Community Investment and LBG Canada, SiMPACT Strategy Group

About Breakfast Club of Canada

Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance, the Club provides much more than breakfast: its approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development using an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 257,000 children and youth in 1,887 schools across the country. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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Media enquiries

For more information and to schedule interviews with Breakfast Club of Canada spokespeople, please contact:

Justine Plourde |1-888-442-1217, ext. 3369 | justine.plourde@breakfastclubcanada.org
Nathalie Rochette | 514-404-5660 |  nathalie.rochette@breakfastclubcanada.org

Boiron Canada will match each donation to do more for kids

Montreal, November 12, 2020 – Mikaël Kingsbury, a Breakfast Club of Canada ambassador since 2017, has decided to do even more for children this year. The two-time Olympic medallist and four-time world champion will celebrate every victory during the 2020–2021 season with a 0 donation to BCC. Mikaël hopes to call attention to the organization’s work and make sure a greater number of students start their day with a healthy breakfast.

“It’s important to me to do something to celebrate every win. This year, I want to make each experience that much more special,” said Mikaël Kingsbury, the most decorated mogul skier of all time. “Of all the ingredients it takes to come out on top, perseverance is way up on the list. I want to continue to inspire kids to push themselves, with their schoolwork and with what they love to do. I know that, with the help of Breakfast Club of Canada, more of them will have the energy to make it happen every day.”

Mikaël has also started a fundraising campaign on the BCC platform give.breakfastclubcanada.org/one-win-for-kids to encourage other people to give back. Inspired by his generosity, Boiron Canada has decided to match his donations, dollar for dollar, to double the impact.

“At Boiron Canada, we have been caring about the health and wellness of young Canadians for over 30 years,” said Daniel Dereser, CEO of Boiron Canada. “We are delighted to work together with Breakfast Club of Canada and back Mikaël’s initiative. We hope this will be an incentive for other companies to undertake something similar and give to a cause they believe in.”

“We are very fortunate at BCC to be supported by some amazing ambassadors and partners who are dedicated to the cause of children’s health and education,” said Tommy Kulczyk, General Manager of Breakfast Club of Canada. “This is so important. We firmly believe that, together, we can make sure every single child in the country has access to a nutritious meal in the morning before they head into the classroom.”

Mikaël Kingsbury invites all Canadians to join him and donate to Breakfast Club of Canada via his fundraising page or text CLUB to 20222.

About Breakfast Club of Canada

Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance, the Club provides much more than breakfast: its approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development using an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 257,000 children and youth in 1,887 schools across the country. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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For further information and to schedule an interview with a Breakfast Club of Canada spokesperson, please contact:

Justine Plourde |1-888-442-1217, ext. 3369 | justine.plourde@breakfastclubcanada.org
Nathalie Rochette | 514-404-5660 | nathalie.rochette@ breakfastclubcanada.org

To arrange an interview with Mikaël Kingsbury, please contact:

Dominique Ladouceur | 514-576-2379 | dominique@af-2.com

MONTREAL – November 9, 2020 – Breakfast Club of Canada and Walmart Canada are proud to announce this year’s annual back-to-school fundraising campaign raised a record-breaking .7 million for school breakfast programs.

With 1 in 3 children starting school on an empty stomach, donations are needed now more than ever. Thanks to the generosity of Walmart customers and the dedication of their associates, the Club can continue to help children thrive and develop healthy eating habits.

Walmart kicked off the campaign by announcing a million donation. Generous customers, encouraged to donate by Walmart associates, donated the other .7 million of this record-breaking gift.

“Our commitment to fight hunger and food insecurity and to help families live better is unwavering, especially during these challenging times,” said Nabeela Ixtabalan, Executive Vice President, People and Corporate Affairs at Walmart Canada. “We are overwhelmed by the generosity of Canadians and are very happy to provide Breakfast Club of Canada with such a meaningful donation.”

“The Club is very fortunate to be able to count on dedicated partners who understand the importance of a daily nutritious breakfast to ensure children can reach their full potential,” said Tommy Kulczyk, General Manager at Breakfast Club of Canada. “Walmart Canada is our biggest partner and we can’t thank Walmart enough for their generous support over the last 18 years.”

For the past 18 years, Walmart Canada has worked with Breakfast Club of Canada, donating and raising more than million. This partnership has greatly contributed to enable the Club and its network of 1,887 schools across the country to feed more than 257,000 students each day.

About Breakfast Club of Canada

Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance, the Club provides much more than breakfast: its approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development using an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 257,000 children and youth in 1,887 schools across the country. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. #StopChildHunger #FeedKidsNow

About Walmart Canada

Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving 1.5 million customers each day. Walmart Canada’s flagship online store, Walmart.ca is visited by more than 900,000 customers daily. With more than 90,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada’s largest employers and is ranked one of the country’s top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada’s extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than 0 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca, facebook.com/walmartcanada and at twitter.com/walmartcanada.

Media Contact

For more information and to schedule interviews with Breakfast Club of Canada spokespeople, please contact:

Justine Plourde
Media Relations, Breakfast Club of Canada
Justine.Plourde@breakfastclubcanada.org

Felicia Fefer
Corporate Affairs, Walmart Canada
Felicia.Fefer@walmart.com

MONTREAL, October 15, 2020 – In response to the growing demand for school food programs across the country, Breakfast Club of Canada would like to reassure the public it has the resources to step up to the challenge. The organization recently put the conditions in place to address the increased need for food shipments, in particular by relocating its warehouse operations to a 16,500-square-foot facility in Varennes, Quebec. Backed by the combined support of individual donors, partners and government administrations, including the Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, BCC now has the leeway to bring breakfast programs to nearly 700 schools in Quebec. This marks yet another step toward a national school food program and will make it possible to reach out to an even greater number of children in the province.

Quebec education minister Jean-François Roberge feels strongly that going to school hungry represents a formidable obstacle to a child’s academic performance and longer-term progress. As a former teacher, he knows how vital BCC is to schools.

“We are very proud to support Breakfast Club of Canada and be part of this important announcement about the relocation of their warehouse. The benefits of healthy eating on school success are undeniable, and that is why the government is supporting the organization’s mission to provide food assistance. As a result of this initiative, the Club will be able to help more children in need. Congratulations to the entire team for all their incredibly hard work in recent months.” – Jean-François Roberge, Minister of Education

This new warehouse will empower BCC to feed even more students and continue to do so with a maximum of agility and flexibility. The organization’s former warehouse in Boucherville was routinely operating at more than 125% capacity. The new space will help streamline operations and ensure the ideal conditions to fulfill BCC’s mission moving forward.

“This warehouse speaks volumes about the significant growth in nutritional needs across the province. As it currently stands, one out of every three children in Canada goes to school hungry. This next stage will help us prepare to face more challenges in the near future.” – Tommy Kulczyk, General Manager, Breakfast Club of Canada

“We are fortunate to work alongside some incredible food and financial partners and operate in an ecosystem that believes wholeheartedly in the work we do. Our announcement today is a very meaningful milestone for us.” – Marie-Josée Lapratte, National Co-Director, Programs, Breakfast Club of Canada

Since the beginning of the pandemic, BCC has had to be especially nimble, with school breakfast programs forced to constantly adjust their practices to support children in line with public health recommendations. In an effort to comply with physical distancing rules and minimize food handling, a cold menu featuring individually wrapped items is currently the norm for school breakfast programs in Quebec. This change has had a considerable impact on BCC, which distributes more than 50,000 meals to 424 schools in the province every day.

Based on the most recent statistics compiled by Breakfast Club of Canada, prior to the onset of the pandemic, more than 1 million Canadian children were going to school on an empty stomach. In the coming year, this number threatens to rise to more than 2 million. Initial school statistics show an increase in demand for breakfast programs in excess of 20%. BCC currently serves 1,887 schools from coast to coast to coast.

To meet these growing needs, Breakfast Club of Canada launched a fundraising campaign of unprecedented proportions in August. To contribute to the BCC back-to-school appeal, go to breakfastclubcanada.org/backtoschool2020 or text CLUB to 20222.

About Breakfast Club of Canada

Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance, the Club provides much more than breakfast: its approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development using an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 257,000 children and youth in 1,887 schools across the country. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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For more information about Breakfast Club of Canada, please contact:

Justine Plourde |1-888-442-1217, ext. 3369 | justine.plourde@breakfastclubcanada.org
Nathalie Rochette | 514-404-5660 | nathalie.rochette@ breakfastclubcanada.org

• 1 in 3 children in Canada start school on an empty stomach
• Walmart Canada kicks off campaign with million donation

MONTREAL – October 1, 2020 – Breakfast Club of Canada is partnering with Walmart Canada on their annual fundraising campaign to raise money for school and community breakfast programs. Walmart is inviting its associates and customers to participate in this year’s campaign from October 1 to October 23 by donating at the checkout and Walmart.ca.

In these changing times, the Club and its partners maintain their focus on protecting children’s well-being and health along with like-minded organizations and schools.  As 1 in 3 children start school on an empty stomach, donations are needed now more than ever. Breakfast Club of Canada will continue to enable children to thrive and help them develop healthy eating habits, no matter where they are.

To demonstrate how they truly believe every single child should have access to a healthy breakfast, Walmart Canada is kicking off this year’s campaign with a million donation to the Club. It includes:

• A corporate match of in-store customer donations, up to a maximum of 0,000;
• 0,000 to support the growing need for breakfast programs due to the pandemic.

“The Club is lucky to be supported by partners who understand the importance of what we do for children,” said Tommy Kulczyk, General Manager at Breakfast Club of Canada. “Students need so many things to be able to focus on their learning, a healthy breakfast being an important part. We can always count on Walmart for their continued support and, through our annual fundraising campaigns, we’ve been able to reach hundreds of thousands of children in schools across the country.”

“Making nutritious food accessible to children is part of our commitment to fight hunger and food insecurity and to help families live better,” said Nabeela Ixtabalan, Executive Vice President, People and Corporate Affairs at Walmart Canada. “Funds raised through our Breakfast Club of Canada campaign will provide support and much-needed resources for school and community breakfast programs to help ensure students are fueled to learn.”

For the past 18 years, Walmart Canada has worked with Breakfast Club of Canada, donating and raising more than million. This partnership has greatly contributed to enable the Club and its network of 1,887 schools across the country to feed more than 257,000 students each day.

About Breakfast Club of Canada

Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance, the Club provides much more than breakfast: its approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development using an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 257,000 children and youth in 1,887 schools across the country. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Walmart Canada

Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving 1.5 million customers each day. Walmart Canada’s flagship online store, Walmart.ca is visited by more than 900,000 customers daily. With more than 90,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada’s largest employers and is ranked one of the country’s top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada’s extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than 0 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca, facebook.com/walmartcanada and at twitter.com/walmartcanada.

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Media Contact

For more information and to schedule interviews with Breakfast Club of Canada spokespeople, please contact:

Justine Plourde
Media Relations, Breakfast Club of Canada
Justine.Plourde@breakfastclubcanada.org

Felicia Fefer
Corporate Affairs, Walmart Canada
Felicia.Fefer@walmart.com

Breakfast Club of Canada Unveils Its Back-to-School Campaign Cabinet

MONTREAL – September 28, 2020 – For the first time in its history, Breakfast Club of Canada has brought together an elite squad of business professionals from across the country whose complementary backgrounds will help expand BCC’s network of partners. The six women who have joined the Back-to-School Campaign Cabinet will lend their combined expertise and name recognition to add clout and credibility to the campaign, which kicked off in late August.

Chaired by journalist, philanthropist and host Joan Kelley Walker, the Campaign Cabinet will leverage members’ connections to help the Club’s significantly greater needs arising from the pandemic. Since the beginning of the new school year, schools across Canada have already seen a 25% to 30% increase in program attendance. According to a survey of all available data, BCC expects that food insecurity will rise by 80% this year. This means that over 2 million children will be at risk of not having a proper breakfast every morning. This represents over 1 in 3 Canadian children.

“Nutrition is essential. There is no other way around it. Canadian children deserve to be nourished so that they can live up to their full potential.’’ said Back-to-School Campaign Cabinet Chair Joan Kelley Walker. ‘’ The current crisis has created more vulnerability amongst our nation’s children. I am proud to be a cabinet member for Breakfast Club of Canada’s current campaign, committed to be there for children no matter where they are. I have witnessed firsthand the impact of their programs and the time to take action is now.”

Introducing the Back-to-School Campaign Cabinet:

• Joan Kelley Walker, Chair of the Breakfast Club of Canada Back-to-School Campaign Cabinet; Journalist, Philanthropist and Host
• Shelley Mayer, Founder and President, Ramp Communications
• Gail Nyberg, former Executive Director, Daily Bread Food Bank
• Anne Fortin, Senior Vice President of Direct Distribution and Chief Marketing Officer, Intact Financial Corporation
• Isabelle Rayle-Doiron, Vice-President, Public Affairs, and General Counsel, Danone
• Brett Clapperton, Director, Community Investment and LBG Canada, SiMPACT Strategy Group

The goal of Breakfast Club of Canada’s back-to-school campaign is to mobilize its partners and the general population to ensure all kids start their day with the energy they need to learn. Building on its mission of feeding students’ potential and giving all children an equal chance of success, the Club is calling on the generosity of Canadians to support its network of schools and local charities in order to continue delivering innovative food programs across the country, no matter how the school year unfolds in the wake of the pandemic.

To donate to Breakfast Club of Canada’s back-to-school efforts, go to breakfastclubcanada.org/backtoschool2020.

To view the profiles of the Cabinet members, click here.

About Breakfast Club of Canada

Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance, the Club provides much more than breakfast: its approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development using an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 257,000 children and youth in 1,887 schools across the country. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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Media enquiries

For more information or to schedule interviews with Breakfast Club of Canada spokespeople, please contact:

Justine Plourde |1-888-442-1217, ext. 3369 | justine.plourde@breakfastclubcanada.org
Nathalie Rochette | 514-404-5660 | nathalie.rochette@breakfastclubcanada.org

Montreal, August 25, 2020 – Breakfast Club of Canada welcomes the Quebec government’s decision to extend its food aid measure to all schools in the province, regardless of their deprivation index score, to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families and children. BCC sees this announcement as yet another step toward a national school food program for all students.

“This news from the Quebec government gladdens our hearts. The timing of the decision could not be better in terms of helping children and families across the province cope with the considerable challenges brought about by the pandemic,” said Marie-Claude Bienvenue, BCC’s Vice-President, Government Affairs, Quebec, and Municipal Affairs. “It’s wrong to think that students living in low-income communities are the only ones who need support. Food insecurity is not limited to any one postal code, and we applaud the government’s efforts to be proactive in this regard.”

“One thing’s for sure: if schools need our expertise in light of this morning’s announcement, we will be there for them,” said Marie-Josée Lapratte, National Co-Director, Programs, Breakfast Club of Canada. “In Quebec, there is a strong ecosystem in place to alleviate food insecurity among children and their families. A number of organizations play an active role in providing school meals, be it at breakfast, lunch or snack time, and in teaching students healthy eating and cooking skills. Ideally, we would love to see the government and this ecosystem come together in the short term to build a vision of a universal, sustainable and inclusive school food program based on a shared cost model. This is what we at Breakfast Club of Canada have been working toward for the past 25 years.”

A reminder that Breakfast Club of Canada’s back-to-school campaign is now in full swing. Recent BCC statistics confirm that, before COVID-19, over 1 million Canadian children were starting the school day on an empty stomach. This number is expected to skyrocket to more than 2 million in the coming academic year. That means 1 out of every 3 students across the country (instead of 1 out of 4) will be walking into the classroom in the morning hungry for food, rather than hungry to learn.

To donate to Breakfast Club of Canada’s back-to-school campaign, go to breakfastclubcanada.org/backtoschool2020 or text CLUB to 20222.

About Breakfast Club of Canada
Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance, the Club provides much more than breakfast: its approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development using an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 257,000 children and youth in 1,887 schools across the country. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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For more information, please contact:

Justine Plourde |1-888-442-1217, ext. 3369 | justine.plourde@breakfastclubcanada.org
Nathalie Rochette | 514-404-5660 | nathalie.rochette@breakfastclubcanada.org

MONTREAL – August 20, 2020 –  

• • Due to COVID-19, the number of children going to class on an empty stomach has increased from over 1 million to now over 2 million  
  • This back-to-school season, Breakfast Club of Canada is rallying the support of local partners, schools, companies, and Canadians to deliver innovative food programs across the country 

Today, Breakfast Club of Canada launches its Back-to-School campaign ‘’Don’t Let Hunger Get in Their Way’’ to mobilize its partners along with Canadians to ensure all kids start their day nourished this fall. Building on its mission of feeding students’ potential and giving all children an equal chance of success, the Club is calling on Canadians’ generosity to support its network of local schools and charities to deliver innovative food programs across the country, no matter how the school year unfolds.  

“Back-to-school is supposed to be exciting time and a fresh start for students. However, given the pandemic, not having enough food is a major concern for some children and their families,” says Tommy Kulczyk, General Manager of Breakfast Club of Canada. “COVID has severely disrupted the economy and caused severe job loss. We know many families are struggling even more than before to put food on the table. Children are among the most vulnerable, but we can’t let hunger get in their way.”  

According to Breakfast Club of Canada, more than one million children across the country were going to school on an empty stomach before COVID. Now, the Club is forecasting a drastic increase to over two million for the coming school year. That’s a jump from one in four children to more than one in every three children who will be going to school on an empty stomach.  

“We need collective and creative solutions to feed all children during this time of crisis – the alternative is potential negative long-term and permanent impact to both their mental and physical health. For example, hunger limits children’s cognition including the ability to focus and retain information and can also impact their ability to regulate emotions. I am so encouraged by the work Breakfast Club of Canada is doing and the support we have seem from the public during the pandemic,” says Lindsay Pleskot, Registered Dietitian and parent.  

The Emergency Fund that the Club launched in March in response to COVID-19 has helped to provide food to over half a million children over the past few months through supporting and collaborating with over 1,000 local organizations and schools cross Canada. With schools re-opening under various regional models, the Club’s network has adapted its food delivery services for breakfast programs to minimize risks and physical contact. Based on successes and learnings from restarting breakfast programs in Quebec last May, this includes only distributing individually packaged meals, food to be served in classrooms to allow for proper social distancing and limiting the menu to cold items only.  

‘’As a mom of twins, I know how important healthy food is for my kids. Even as we’ve been sheltering at home, they are constantly learning, playing, running, they NEVER STOP! All of that requires fuel for their growing bodies and brain.  That’s why the work Breakfast Club of Canada is doing is more important now than ever. Let’s make sure all our children can have the fuel they need to feed their potential,” says Breakfast Club of Canada spokesperson and comedian, Jessi Cruickshank. 

“For over 25 years, Breakfast Club of Canada has been providing meals to students before class every morning. No matter what this school year looks like, let’s not let hunger put our children’s future on hold. We hope families and donors across Canada will join us in giving every child an equal chance to succeed this year,” says Kulczyk.  

To find out more on how to donate to Breakfast Club of Canada’s back-to-school efforts, visit breakfastclubcanada.org.

About Breakfast Club of Canada 

Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance, the Club provides much more than breakfast: its approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development using an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 257,000 children and youth in 1,887 schools across the country. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Use our following hashtags #StopChildHunger and #FeedKidsNow.

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Media Contact 

For more information and to schedule interviews with Breakfast Club of Canada spokespeople, please contact: 

Tatianna Ducklow 
Media Relations 
P: 587-897-7430   
E: tducklow@argylepr.com