NATIONAL, Feb. 2, 2012 /CNW/ - Raising the Roof's annual Toque Tuesday is on February 7. Across Canada, from dawn to dusk, volunteers from Intact Financial Corporation and community groups will take to the streets, shopping malls and transit hubs encouraging commuters to purchase a toasty-warm toque in support of homeless youth. This year's goal is to sell 50,000 toques across Canada!
The Toque Campaign brings together communities - big and small - in a collective effort to "put a cap" on youth homelessness in Canada. Coast-to-coast, an estimated 65,000 youth are without a place to call home.
Past campaign sales have allowed Raising the Roof to grant almost $3.3 million to 145 local community agencies serving the homeless across the country. Part of this year's proceeds will also help fund Raising the Roof's Youthworks initiative, focused on long-term solutions to youth homelessness. We thank and celebrate our 2012 National Toque Campaign partners, Intact Financial Corporation and Canadian Traffic Network.
The difference a toque makes…
Every $10 toque sold supports real solutions. For example, one toque sale will cover the cost of a bus pass or some clothing for a youth who needs to attend an all-important job interview; 10 toques will fund supportive housing for one youth for a week, so that he or she can get help to develop important life-skills and break away from street culture.
Purchase your toque on your way to/from work, from your local participating community agency OR on-line at www.raisingtheroof.org.
Looking for more reasons why you should purchase a toque? Check out our 'brilliant' TV public service announcements created for us pro bono by Leo Burnett Toronto.
Show your (virtual) support by 'toquing' your Facebook pic using the 'toque app' on our Facebook page.
Media interview and photo opportunities on Toque Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Toque Tuesday events will be happening across the country. For details by province and community (including local media contacts) please refer to the Toque Tuesday events (pdf document) with this release. National Raising the Roof media contacts are noted below.
About Raising the Roof
Raising the Roof is a national Canadian charity focused on long-term solutions to homelessness. We fund local, grass-roots agencies working to alleviate homelessness in their communities; build awareness among Canadians about the true nature of homelessness today and educate them about how to prevent it in the future; and build partnerships by giving people, corporations and organizations the opportunity to participate in solutions.
Image with caption: "Each $10 Raising the Roof toque helps 'put a cap' on youth homelessness. (CNW Group/Raising the Roof)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120206_C8809_PHOTO_EN_9549.jpg
PDF with caption: "Toque Tuesday community event details". PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2012/02/06/20120206_C8809_DOC_EN_9550.pdf
National Media: Susanna Smith, Smith Communications 416-888-2074; Arundel Gibson, Director National Campaigns 416-888-2267; Carolann Barr, Executive Director, Raising the Roof, 416-523-6605
For all other enquiries, please use the local contacts listed in the attached pdf for each participating community.
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