Breakfast Club of Canada launches its biggest-ever fundraising campaign

MONTREAL, Feb. 13, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, the Breakfast Club of Canada, in partnership with Walmart, officially kicked off the biggest annual giving campaign in the organization's history. From February 13 to March 7, people across the country are invited to participate in the campaign by making a donation at their local Walmart store or by visiting HelpThemShine.ca, a peer-to-peer fundraising site featuring a series of dynamic, compelling videos, visuals and promotional tools. The campaign will drive home how good it feels to reach out to children in need and how much of an impact a nutritious breakfast can have on their ability to do well in school. In addition, Canadians can help spread the word through various social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google + and YouTube.

The aim of the $3-million Canada-wide Help Them Shine initiative is to provide healthy, balanced breakfasts to thousands of school-aged children from coast to coast. More than 130,000 students are already enrolled in the Breakfast Club of Canada program.

One out of seven children goes to school on an empty stomach
For almost 20 years now, the Breakfast Club of Canada has strived to maximize the chances of academic success for all children by making sure they get a full breakfast every day in a stimulating environment. "Study after study has shown the concrete benefits of a wholesome morning meal on students' concentration, attitude and predisposition to learn," emphasized Daniel Germain, President and Founder of the Breakfast Club of Canada. "But, sadly, too many kids are still missing out. By joining forces with Walmart's extensive network of stores and sharing our videos and tools through our partners, we are putting ourselves at the forefront of the fundraising community and connecting with the widest possible audience." The Breakfast Club of Canada trailer will be shown at Cineplex Theatres across the country.

Walmart has been supporting Breakfast Club of Canada since 2000 by selling special bookmarks at checkouts across the country for $1 apiece. "Walmart Canada is committed to helping Canadian families in need and to addressing the serious issue of hunger. We are proud to partner with the Breakfast Club of Canada to help them deliver school breakfast programs to children all across Canada," said John Lawrence, director of corporate social responsibility for Walmart Canada.  "We believe that by tapping into the power of our network we can defy the statistics and make sure even more kids have access to this much-needed program. In the last 14 years, Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $27 million to the Breakfast Club of Canada.  

HelpThemShine.ca
The public is urged to contribute to the campaign by making a donation, creating a personalized online fundraising page at HelpThemShine.ca, sharing campaign videos or purchasing a special bookmark from their neighbourhood Walmart for a loonie. Walmart Canada will match donations up to $750,000.

About Walmart Canada
Walmart Canada operates a growing chain of 389 stores nationwide, including 247 supercentres, serving more than 1.2 million customers each day. In addition, Walmart Canada's flagship online store, walmart.ca, is visited by 300,000 customers daily.  With more than 95,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of Canada's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada's extensive philanthropy program is focused on helping Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart has donated and raised more than $200 million to Canadian charities. Additional company information can be found at walmartcanada.ca, facebook.com/walmartcanada and at twitter.com/@walmartcanada.

About the Breakfast Club of Canada
The Breakfast Club of Canada is a non-profit organization that provides funding, equipment, food, training and services to school breakfast programs across Canada. We are dedicated to making sure that students start their day with a wholesome meal in a stimulating environment. Our goal is to provide adequate learning conditions for all children.

#breakfastcanada
#helpthemshineBCC

SOURCE: Breakfast Club of Canada

Source : Diane Fabi, Director, National Communications, Breakfast Club of Canada, [email protected], 514.232.1133; For more information : Valérie Gonzalo, [email protected], 514.626.6976