Rallying against hunger
Oilers star Leon Draisaitl and local Ford dealerships assist student food drive
Oilers star Leon Draisaitl and local Ford dealerships are teaming up with Edmonton youth to tackle hunger in their community.
On November 5, students will rally at Ford Hall in Rogers Place as the culmination of this year’s WE Scare Hunger campaign, sponsored by Ford. The student-led campaign, part of the WE Schools service-learning program, raises awareness about food insecurity and takes action through local food drives.
Last year, students from 13 Edmonton schools collected 7,300 kilograms of food for the Edmonton Food Bank through the campaign. Eight Ford dealerships volunteered to transport their donations. This year, students have set a goal of 9,000 kilograms.
According to a recent Food Banks Canada survey, Canadians visited food banks 1.1 million times in a single month last year. The Edmonton Food Bank alone provides almost 500,000 meals and snacks monthly.
Since 2014, Ford dealers in partnership with WE have helped collect and transport almost 600,000 kilograms of donations to local food banks across Canada. Through the WE Scare Hunger campaign, Ford is committed to supporting youth and helping to make a difference in the lives of Canadians.
At last year’s WE Scare Hunger event, Draisaitl thrilled students by recognizing their efforts to create a future where hunger doesn’t exist. “It’s amazing to see the work you put in,” he said.
In addition to serving as a WE ambassador and WE Day Alberta co-chair, Draisaitl is a team captain of Hockey Helps Kids. The non-profit program, created by Chloe and Harrison Katz, pairs Oilers players with local schools to inspire students to be active and engaged in their community.
Draisaitl will be on hand again at this year’s WE Scare Hunger event. He is passionate about helping communities in Edmonton and championing youth volunteerism. The Edmonton Oilers have nominated Draisaitl for the 2019 King Clancy Memorial Award, given to the hockey player who best exemplifies what it means to be a leader on and off the ice, and who has made a positive contribution to the community.
Joining Draisaitl at this year’s rally will be Jim Hartford, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Ford of Canada Ltd., and Spencer West, one of WE’s featured inspirational speakers and co-host of WE Day. At the event, students will help load the food donations into Ford trucks for transfer to the Edmonton Food Bank.
To take part in the WE Scare Hunger campaign, people are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items, toiletries and other products to any Ford dealership in Edmonton throughout October.