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Burlington Eagles Give Back

By Ontario Minor Hockey Association, 10/16/13, 9:30AM EDT

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The Gift of Giving Back Food Drive Enters it's 8th Year

Last year, Burlington hockey families, including the Burlington City Rep Eagles, Burlington Cougars Junior A Hockey Club, and Burlington Barracudas Girls’ Hockey Club, really got into the giving spirit with great compassion by collecting and donating an astounding 207,688.8 lbs of non-perishable goods during their food drive in mid-November!  Close to 104 tons of food were donated to the hungry and those in need in our community of Burlington. 

 In the last seven years, this initiative has donated an accumulative total of 481,410.47 lbs to our local beneficiaries.  To be clear, that amount of food actually translates into an estimated monetary gift of $1,203,526.18 TO OUR COMMUNITY according to the most recent Ontario Food Association conversion.  

Nowhere in the nation does a single food drive involving so few families achieve even close to such lofty results.  In an era where many food distribution organizations are falling well short of their goals, our initiative continues to exceed everyone’s expectations.  Our annual contribution has, because of its unparalleled success, become an essential contributor to the health and welfare of our city and its surrounding communities.  Clearly, the generosity of its citizens makes Burlington one of the greatest places in Canada to live. 

 If all goes according to plan this year, the Carpenter Hospice will, once again, have enough food to last them for one year.  Halton Women’s Place will have enough food for one year, Partnership West Food Bank will be able to stock their shelves for one year, and the Salvation Army will be able to support the many needy families in our community for many months to come.  Hundreds of Christmas hampers will also be packed up and distributed to families in Burlington to make Christmas a little brighter for some of our neighbours. 


Our Annual “Gift of Giving Back” not only enables us to give a sizeable donation back to our community, but more importantly, also facilitates in supporting, educating, and empowering our youth.  


Through these experiences in civic participation, we aim to encourage our youth to live as engaged and active citizens who understand the power of giving back to one’s fellow man.  After each “GOGB”, and seeing our children carrying and sorting the food  and packing the bins in huge numbers, we always wonder how many significant conversations are taking place in our homes concerning the less fortunate in our midst.  By highlighting societal issues of poverty, homelessness and hunger with our kids, we can also make them aware of our hardworking local organizations that provide services for those people in need.  


For these reasons, I am thrilled to contact you regarding the 8th Annual Gift of Giving Back Community Food Drive being held on November 5th and 6th at Notre Dame High School.   We need your help to publicize this good-news endeavor.  


Our goal is to communicate the unbelievable successes that just one small hockey organization has achieved.  Furthermore, we have done this on a shoestring with virtually no capital outlay – just from a few donations from generous volunteers. 


 If every minor hockey organization across Canada participated in the Gift of Giving Back Challenge using the successful formula developed here in Burlington, we could help to eradicate hunger in Canada.  


Our hockey partners in Burlington have huge hearts and we couldn't be more dedicated to a cause than we are to the Eagles ‘Gift of Giving Back”.   Please help our children as they make a difference in their own community.  Thank you for your anticipated support.  Should you require any further information regarding this, please do not hesitate to contact me at 905-691-6075 or by email at long.field@cogeco.ca.  

Gift of Giving Back Community Food Drive - www.giftofgivingback.ca

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“(It’s) one of the biggest outpourings of practical love towards the needy in our community,” said Jeff Johnston, the executive director of Burlington Community and Family Services at the Salvation Army.