M&M Meat Shops Inspires Canadians to Enjoy a Family Dinner Night and Help
Make a Difference

The Sixth Annual M&M Meat Shops National Family Dinner Night on September 16, 2010 supports the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada

TORONTO, Sept. 8 /CNW/ - On Thursday, September 16, 2010, M&M Meat Shops is encouraging Canadians to take time out of their busy schedules to participate in the Sixth Annual National Family Dinner Night that celebrates what matters most - spending quality time with family and friends. The importance of family dinners reaches far beyond simply sharing a meal together. Research shows that gathering around the table presents a valuable opportunity to interact, strengthen relationships and affirm the value of every individual in the family and their role in their community.

Launched in 2004, this phenomenal program has touched the hearts and minds of families, community leaders and dignitaries from coast-to-coast. Members of Parliament, premiers, mayors, city councils and even the Prime Minister and Governor General have proclaimed their support for this national at-home event.

National Family Dinner Night attracts tremendous public and charitable support every year and has contributed significantly to the more than $20 million M&M Meat Shops has raised for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC). This year, M&M Meat Shops urges everyone in Canada to register their participation and demonstrate the importance of getting together with the people who matter most in their lives.

Register Your Participation and Share Your Story

For everyone who registers their pledge to participate in National Family Dinner Night on the website: www.nationalfamilydinnernight.com, M&M Meat Shops will make a $1 donation to the CCFC, up to a maximum of $100,000.

And new this year, everyone is invited to share their favourite family recipe or family dinner memory for a chance to win $250 in M&M Meat Shops Gift Cards. To enter, visit www.nationalfamilydinnernight.com. Contest closes Thursday, September 16, 2010.

Making the World a Better Place - One Family Meal at a Time

M&M Meat Shops National Family Dinner Night research shows that many Canadians believe that sitting down for dinner helps bond families closer together. To make your family meal more enjoyable:

• Make your family a priority during meals
• Turn off cell phones, TVs and remove distractions
• Introduce ideas and share current events
• Talk about your community
• Allow your children to express their opinions and encourage their independence

Letters of Support

"Our world is increasingly fast-paced, even for kids, and that's why it's more important than ever before to ensure that families make regular time to draw together, share a meal and listen to each other. The crisis of relevance so many of our young people feel needs to be countered with meaningful opportunities to be heard and valued, and if it starts at home, it then extends naturally to their sense of connection to their community at large," writes Justin Trudeau, Member of Parliament and son of the late former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

Justin Trudeau is not alone in his ideology; community leaders from coast-to-coast support the efforts of M&M Meat Shops National Family Dinner Night*.

"Despite our busy schedules and the hectic pace of our daily lives, let us take the time to eat dinner together and to enjoy the company of those we love. It is during these family meals that we reconnect, talk, laugh and create lasting memories," writes Governor General Michaëlle Jean.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper writes: "Sitting down to dinner, or any meal together, provides us with a chance to reconnect with our loved ones, to share our experiences, to laugh and to enjoy each other's company."

"I commend M&M Meat Shops for highlighting the important role that spending time together as a family plays in building strong and healthy relationships. From my own childhood I have fond memories of the special times spend with family at dinner time and today as a proud father I cherish every opportunity I get to spend time with my wife Kate and daughter Julia, sharing in their laughter and love," writes Robert Ghiz, Premier of P.E.I.

"Sitting down for a meal together can have a lasting, positive effect on open communication between children and parents. National Family Dinner Night encourages busy families to reconnect by spending quality time together, talking and sharing around the dinner table while supporting a worthy cause. We thank everyone for their support," says Mac Voisin, founder of M&M Meat Shops.

About M&M Meat Shops
Since opening its first store in 1980, M&M Meat Shops, a Kitchener-based business, has taken pride in offering convenient restaurant quality meal solutions that make family dinners and entertaining effortless and delicious. With more than 470 locations across the country, it is the largest specialty frozen food retailer in Canada and is considered to be one of the most successful franchisee networks. M&M Meat Shops offers hundreds of meal ideas for today's busy families in just one aisle, with products ranging from succulent steaks to tasty single servings and irresistible desserts. For more information, tips and recipes visit www.mmmeatshops.com. 

* National Family Dinner Night Letters of Support are available upon request and can be viewed at   www.nationalfamilydinnernight.com

For further information:

Ive Balins or Adriana Lurz at Strategic Objectives:
Tel:  [phone]; Fax: [phone];
Email: [email protected]