The annual ‘Loonies on the Street’ fundraiser returns for its 24th year on Friday (December 13) from 7 to 10 a.m. just outside of Peterborough Square at the corner of George and Simcoe Streets in downtown Peterborough, aiming to raise $100,000 for Kawartha Food Share.
As FREQ 90.5 and OLDIES 96.7 broadcast the event live, a “bucket brigade” of volunteers will be collecting loose change up and down George Street, with volunteers from the Peterborough Lions Club doing the same on the Hunter Street Bridge.
Over the past 23 years, the event has brought in more than $2.2 million in monetary donations for Kawartha Food Share, including $170,000 last year.
“The last few years have been difficult for so many, our member agencies and clients included,” says Kawartha Food Share general manager Ashlee Aitken.
“We are counting on the support of our community to once again help us ensure our shelves remain well stocked at our 37 member agencies who are currently feeding over 14,000 clients each month in Peterborough and county.”
Due to the postal strike, Kawartha Food Share’s donation letters have not been delivered, and the organization is encouraging those unable to donate during the event to visit the Kawartha Food Share warehouse at 665 Neal Drive before December 13 (anytime between 9 and 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday) to make a monetary donation, or to donate online at canadahelps.org/en/pages/3-loonies-on-the-street/.
Kawartha Food Share is a central collection and distribution warehouse that partners with 37 member agency food banks, food cupboards, and other food action programs in the City and County of Peterborough.
More than 35 per cent of the 14,000 people Kawartha Food Share feeds every month are children, with the non-profit organization also providing nutritious snacks for 51 area school breakfast programs helping over 17,000 children get a healthy start to their school day.
Kawartha Food Share also provides outreach to those living with food insecurity by partnering with community meal programs, including those provided by Brock Mission, One City, Salvation Army Peterborough, and more.
