M&M Meat Shops Raises $1,610,000 Million for the Crohn's and Colitis
Foundation of Canada!

TORONTO, May 11 /CNW/ - This past Saturday, May 8th, franchisees, staff and thousands of volunteers at 470 M&M Meat Shops locations across Canada joined together to raise $1,610,000 for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC). Supporters from coast to coast lined up to celebrate M&M Meat Shops Charity BBQ Day and raise funds to support vital research to find a cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, also known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). To date, M&M Meat Shops' franchisees, customers and volunteers have raised more than $20 million for this worthy cause.

Saturday marked the 22nd annual M&M Meat Shops Charity BBQ Day and Canadians enjoyed thousands of hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream bars in support of the CCFC. Every cent raised goes directly to CCFC research to help find a cure for IBD, a disease that affects more than 200,000 Canadian men, women and children.

This year, M&M Meat Shops Charity BBQ Day was supported by Amanda Holmes, daughter of Canada's Most Trusted Contractor, Mike Holmes, and sufferer of Crohn's disease. "There are few things harder than seeing your child in pain," says Mike Holmes. "We appreciate every dollar donated to the CCFC."

    
    Cooking for a Cure
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"Once again, Canadians demonstrated incredible support for Charity BBQ Day, raising more than $1.6 million in a single day for CCFC," says Mac Voisin, Founder and Chairman of M&M Meat Shops. "Our sincere thank you to everyone who helped to make the 22nd annual Charity BBQ Day a huge success."

Voisin believes this amazing feat could not have been accomplished without the help of thousands of volunteers and dedicated M&M Meat Shops franchisees, who tirelessly facilitated BBQs and promoted the event in their local communities across the country.

"On behalf of the CCFC and the thousands of persons living with IBD across Canada, we are grateful to M&M Meat Shops for their continued support and commitment to our search for a cure," says CCFC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kevin W. Glasgow, MD. "Contributions from the M&M Meat Shops Charity BBQ Day have funded many important developments in Canadian research, including: establishing the CCFC IBD Research Institute; launching the landmark GEM project looking at the Genetic, Environmental and Microbial factors contributing to the onset of Crohn's disease; and helping our Canadian researchers to become world-recognized leaders in the search for the cure."

    
    Proud Partners
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A Kitchener-based business, M&M Meat Shops opened its first store in 1980. The successful chain now has 470 locations across Canada. M&M Meat Shops offers hundreds of quick and easy meal ideas for today's busy families in just one convenient aisle, with products ranging from succulent steaks to irresistible entrees, delicious desserts and more. For more information on M&M Meat Shops or for tips on hundreds of meal ideas, visit www.mmmeatshops.com.

The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC) is a voluntary, not-for-profit, medical research foundation dedicated to finding the cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The foundation is also committed to educating IBD patients, their families, health professionals and the general public about these diseases.

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For further information: or to find the store nearest you, please contact: Ive Balins or Adriana Lurz at Strategic Objectives, Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], Email: [email protected]