It’s Rivalry Week in the OHL with North Bay facing off against Sudbury Thursday and Friday.
While the two teams will battle on the ice, there’s an off-ice challenge underway too.
The second annual Hwy 17 Food Drive Challenge is inviting fans in both communities to bring non-perishable food donations to their team’s upcoming home games.
Donations are going to the North Bay and Sudbury food banks to help stock the shelves for neighbours experiencing food insecurity.
The North Bay Battalion host the Wolves on Thursday, with the two teams heading up the highway to Sudbury on Friday.
The city that collects the most food by weight wins.
“We’re grateful for the support of our community and the enthusiasm this friendly competition brings,” says Debbie Marson, North Bay Food Bank. “Every pound of food donated makes a difference for local families facing food insecurity, and we’re excited to see both communities come together to support their neighbours.”
North Bay won the inaugural challenge last season with 2,767 pounds of food, compared to 571 pounds collected in Sudbury.
Along with non-perishable food items, monetary donations will also be accepted.
The challenge comes at a time when national food bank usage rose to 2.35 million monthly visits this year.
That has Food Banks Canada calling for economic security reforms.
Their annual HungerCount study, involving more than 5,500 food banks and community organizations, shows visits in March were up 9% from the previous record set last year and have more than doubled (117%) since 2019.
Food Banks Canada warn millions of people are now facing impossible trade-offs as they struggle to afford basic needs.
Recommendations include modernizing Employment Insurance, doubling the Canada Workers Benefit, conducting a Parliamentary review on the adequacy of social assistance, and more.
