Press Release
Rogers and Jays Care Foundation are supporting Food Banks Canada by housing 6,000 pallets of food on the Rogers Centre field, sorting the items into hampers, and delivering the hampers across the country to families in need.
Dubbed Step Up to the Plate, the initiative will see hampers filled with a variety of non-perishable food items, providing one individual with a week’s worth of food. Hundreds of Rogers employees and their families will be volunteering to sort the food hampers as part of Rogers’ annual “Give Together” volunteer program. Hundreds more Rogers employees across the country will be volunteering as the food hampers make their way to local food banks throughout Canada.
The company will also be tapping its personalized mobile retail team, Rogers Pro On-the-Go™, to help with deliveries on the ground. The goal is to fill 390,000 hampers, for a total of 8 million meals.
“At Rogers, we consider all Canadians to be part of our extended family and we believe we have a responsibility to give back and help our family members in need,” said Melinda Rogers-Hixon, deputy chairman of the board, Rogers Communications, in a statement. “With Rogers Centre vacant until baseball returns, we have an exciting opportunity to open our pantry of assets and offer a much-needed resource for Food Banks Canada.”
“We have a strong tradition of community service at Rogers, and our 25,000 strong team members across the country are here to give together and give back to Canadians when they need it most. Along with our employees, customers, and fans, we have already contributed more than 2 million meals to Food Banks Canada through COVID-19 and we are excited to roll up our sleeves to help fill more plates for Canadians relying on these donations,” added Joe Natale, president and CEO, Rogers Communications.
Rogers consulted Toronto Public Health to ensure all necessary precautions are taken for the health and safety of the volunteers and all those involved in program.
About Rogers
Rogers is a proud Canadian company dedicated to making more possible for Canadians each and every day. Ted Rogers purchased his first radio station, CHFI, in 1960 and the company has since grown to become a leading technology and media company that strives to provide the very best in wireless, residential, sports, and media to Canadians and Canadian businesses. For more information, visit about.rogers.com.
About Jays Care Foundation
Jays Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays, uses baseball as a tool to teach life skills and create lasting social change for over 35,000 children and youth across Canada. For more information, visit jayscare.com, follow on Twitter and Instagram, like on Facebook, or call 416.341.1456.
About Food Banks Canada
Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network from coast-to-coast-to-coast. Visit foodbankscanada.ca to learn more.
