Long-time BCC ambassadors committed to helping food-insecure children across the country have access to healthy nutrition during the COVID-19 crisis

Montreal, March 23, 2020 – Dedicated Breakfast Club of Canada ambassadors Carey and Angela Price have generously announced a ,000 donation from their Foundation to the Club’s emergency fund to help feed children across Canada during the COVID-19 crisis. The Price family has been involved with the Club for over five years through a variety of initiatives including Shooting for the Stars, an event created in collaboration with the Air Canada Foundation that lets children from Indigenous communities enjoy an incredible week-long experience in Montreal with their hockey hero, and an annual fundraiser of the same name held in Kelowna, B.C. – which to date has raised more than 0,000 to support the Club’s mission.

“We are lucky to have everything we do, when so many people lack access to healthy food. We feel compelled to do our part so that the most vulnerable children and communities in the country, including Indigenous communities, aren’t victims of food insecurity during this crisis,” said Angela Price.

“It’s incredible to be able to count on the support of the Carey and Angela Price Foundation. They’ve been so generous to Breakfast Club of Canada over the years, and this shows once again how invested they are in our mission. I sincerely hope that Angela and Carey’s act of generosity will inspire others to do the same,” said Daniel Germain, President and Founder of Breakfast Club of Canada.

Some 250,000 students usually depend on the Club and its partners for a healthy breakfast every school morning, but the total number of children and youth across the country affected by food insecurity is a greater than 1 million.

At least  million is required to meet the needs of Canadian children and families immediately.

To help minimize the repercussions of this crisis on families in need, the Club is supporting local community organizations, who need more financial support than ever, as extra precautions drastically increase the cost of providing each meal.

The Club is calling on the community and corporate partners to help support children in this time of need. For those looking to join the Price family in contributing to the emergency fund, donations can be made through the Club’s website here, or by texting CLUB to 20222 to make a or donation.

To minimize the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on this vulnerable segment of the population, the Club will be issuing special grants through this emergency fund, which community organizations looking for support for their food programs can apply for here.

The emergency fund will:

• Focus on food-insecure households with children across Canada, including those in Indigenous communities
• Target high-need neighbourhoods
• Be administered in collaboration with respected community organizations that are familiar with and rigorously apply hygiene and sanitation measures associated with handling food as well as the requirements developed by public health authorities to control the spread of COVID-19

More than 50 organizations have already applied for assistance from the Club.

About Breakfast Club of Canada

Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance, the Club provides much more than breakfast: its approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development using an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 250,000 children and youth in 1,809 schools across the country. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org.

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For more information and interview requests with Angela Price or someone from Breakfast Club of Canada:

Tatianna Ducklow
Media Relations
Argyle
tducklow@argylepr.com
587-897-7430

For the sixth year in a row, Shooting for the Stars treats three lucky children to a week-long lineup of special activities

Montreal, March 3, 2020 – Young people sometimes need a helping hand to achieve their full potential and see just how far their dreams can carry them. That is precisely why Breakfast Club of Canada and the Air Canada Foundation joined forces for the sixth consecutive year to give three children from Indigenous communities in British Columbia the opportunity to experience an extraordinary week. Kameron, Kimora and Trey crossed the country to explore Montreal and meet Carey and Angela Price, paragons of perseverance and Breakfast Club of Canada ambassadors.

During their stay, the trio visited a number of popular attractions, including La Grande Roue de Montréal and the Montreal Science Centre, and were given a guided tour of the Bell Centre. They also enjoyed some very special moments with Carey and Angela Price, both on the ice and after the game on February 27.

Highlights:

• Carey Price hails from the Ulkatcho First Nation in Anahim Lake, British Columbia. He believes in the importance of giving back to youth from his community. He and his wife, Angela, make it a point to take the time to inspire youth to push beyond their limits and dream big.
• For Breakfast Club of Canada and the Air Canada Foundation, nourishing children is about more than making sure they get a healthy breakfast every morning: it’s about giving them the energy they need to fulfill their potential in a caring, stimulating environment.
• While they were in Montreal, Kameron, Kimora and Trey were able to watch Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens in action at the Bell Centre on February 27, from the comfort of the Air Canada loge.
• Indigenous communities have been a priority for Breakfast Club of Canada for many years. Currently, 269 schools and 31,157 children in Indigenous communities across the country are served by the Club and its partners.

Available for interviews:

• Angela Price, Breakfast Club of Canada ambassador
• Tommy Kulczyk, General Manager, Breakfast Club of Canada
• Valérie Durand, Air Canada Foundation Spokesperson

Quotes:

“We feel privileged to be able to make our dreams come true every day. By taking part in the Shooting for the Stars event for the past six years, we’ve been able to tell children that nothing is impossible if you keep at it. Children from Indigenous communities may need to hear this message more often, and we gladly share it with them, year after year.”
— Angela and Carey Price, Breakfast Club of Canada ambassadors

“At Breakfast Club of Canada, we work every day to maximize children’s chances of taking their dreams to the next level. Partners like the Air Canada Foundation are how we make this happen. We also rely on the contributions of ambassadors like Angela and Carey Price, who place a high priority on children and their success.”
— Tommy Kulczyk, General Manager, Breakfast Club of Canada

“For the Air Canada Foundation, nothing is more important than children’s wellbeing and helping them dream big. Shooting for the Stars is an opportunity to create a special experience for children who deserve to feel inspired and to explore what the future could hold for them. Beyond this trip, we encourage them to persevere in everything they undertake and to reach their full potential.”
— Valérie Durand, Spokesperson, Air Canada Foundation

Thank you to our generous partners, without whom Shooting for the Stars would not be possible:

• Air Canada Foundation
• Centre Sheraton Montreal
• Pacific Coastal Airlines
• Central Mountain Air
• Limousine Krystal
• La Cage – Brasserie sportive
• McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada
• Cora Restaurants
• Pizzeria No. 900
• La Grande Roue de Montréal
• iSaute
• Montreal Science Centre

About Breakfast Club of Canada

Founded in 1994, Breakfast Club of Canada is a charitable organization that provides funding, equipment, training and support to school breakfast programs across the country. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Club is dedicated to ensuring every child starts their day with a nutritious morning meal, in a safe and secure environment. Accredited by Imagine Canada as a trustworthy charity, Breakfast Club of Canada is present in 1,809 schools from coast to coast feeding over 243,500 children every school morning. To learn more visit breakfastclubcanada.org or find us on social media.

About the Air Canada Foundation

The Air Canada Foundation, a not-for-profit organization focused on the health and well-being of children and youth, was launched in 2012. It offers both financial and in-kind support to Canadian registered charities. Core programs include the Hospital Transportation Program, which donates Aeroplan Miles to 15 pediatric hospitals across Canada, enabling sick children to access the medical care they need but which are unavailable locally. The Air Canada Foundation, in collaboration with the airline, also engages directly in fundraising activities, such as the Every Bit Counts program, which encourages Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge customers to donate loose change of all denominations aboard flights or through collection containers available in Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges. The Foundation also offers continued support to major health-related causes that benefit Canadians and is an active participant in international humanitarian relief activity as the need arises. For more information about the Air Canada Foundation, please visit www.aircanada.com/foundation or the 2018 Corporate Sustainability Report, Citizens of the World, online at www.aircanada.com/citizensoftheworld.

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For more information and interview requests:
Justine Plourde
Communications Advisor, Public Relations
Breakfast Club of Canada
justine.plourde@breakfastclubcanada.org
1-888-442-1217, ext. 3369

Nathalie Rochette
Communications Director
Breakfast Club of Canada
nathalie.rochette@breakfastclubcanada.org
1-888-442-1217, ext. 3348

Montreal, January 26, 2017 – For the third consecutive year, Breakfast Club of Canada and the Air Canada Foundation were the proud hosts of a dream trip to Montreal for three BC students. Part of the annual Shooting for the Stars contest, this was organized by Breakfast Club of Canada, the Air Canada Foundation, and Carey and Angela Price of the Montreal Canadiens. While there, the three recipients from the communities of Anahim Lake, Williams Lake and Quesnel, British Columbia, met and skated with the star goaltender. Each is involved with the Club in their community and was picked by their respective school administration and Carey Price himself in recognition of their unique life experiences and touching stories.

This event took place thanks to our generous collaborator

Montreal, February 8, 2019 – To inspire children and youth to dream big, Breakfast Club of Canada and the Air Canada foundation joined forces to welcome three Indigenous youth from British Columbia on an exceptional trip to meet Club Ambassador, Carey Price. The fifth edition of the Shooting for the Stars event saw Arianna, Lashawn and Sireasha – from Westbank, Anahim Lake and Williams Lake respectively – board an Air Canada flight to explore a new area of their country: Montreal.

Being from the Ulkaltcho reserve in Anahim Lake himself, Carey Price is able to understand the importance of an experience like this, which encourages children from communities such as his to dream big and shoot for the stars.

Highlights:

• The purpose of this visit is to inspire the children by way of meeting Carey Price, who is from the same region as they are and has been successful in fulfilling his dream; playing in the NHL.
• They had the chance to skate with Carey while creating priceless memories.
• Arianna, Lashawn and Sireasha met with the Mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, at City Hall and signed the City’s Guestbook.
• They experienced Carey Price defending the net during a Montreal Canadiens game against the Winnipeg Jets on February 7^th, all the while comfortably seated in the Air Canada lodge.
• Breakfast Club of Canada in Indigenous communities:
  • 226 clubs serving 24,244 children daily

Quotes:

“For these children, we know that a single spark can change their lives, or even the realities of their entire community. For this reason, nurturing these children’s dreams is especially important to us, and we are very touched and grateful to be able to play an inspiring role in their lives through the Shooting for the Stars event, orchestrated by the Air Canada Foundation and Breakfast Club of Canada.”
– Angela and Carey Price, Breakfast Club of Canada ambassadors

“It’s really amazing for me to see all the people who have worked so hard to give my granddaughter the chance to take this trip. She is incredibly lucky to have been selected and we are so touched by the generosity of Breakfast Club of Canada and the Air Canada Foundation.”
– Brenda, grandmother of Sireasha who accompanied her on this trip

“The Air Canada Foundation is proud to partner with Breakfast Club of Canada and be an integral part of an initiative like Shooting for the Stars, an event that allows young people from Indigenous communities to open their horizons while enjoying an exceptional experience! Beyond an unforgettable travel adventure, we are proud to transport them to their full potential.”
– Priscille LeBlanc, Chair of the Air Canada Foundation

“Breakfast Club of Canada is dedicated to helping children from Indigenous communities and allowing them to dream just as big as any other child. What might seem like just a trip is in fact the opportunity to partake in an out-of-the-ordinary experience, but also to create everlasting memories, and that’s why Shooting for the Stars is so important.”
– Daniel Germain, President Founder of Breakfast Club of Canada

Special thanks to our generous partners, without which this event would not be possible:

• Sheraton Montreal
• Central Mountain Air
• Limo Krystal
• La Cage – Brasserie sportive
• McDonald’s
• Cora
• Observatoire Place Ville Marie
• Montreal Science Centre
• La Grande Roue de Montréal

About Breakfast Club of Canada

Breakfast Club of Canada is a charitable organization that provides funding, equipment, training and support to school breakfast programs across the country. The Club is dedicated to ensuring every child starts their day with a nutritious morning meal, in a safe and secure environment. Founded in Quebec in 1994, Breakfast Club of Canada is present in 1,640 schools from coast to coast feeding over 220,000 children every school morning. To learn more visit breakfastclubcanada.org or find us on social media.

About the Air Canada Foundation

The Air Canada Foundation, a registered charitable organization, focused on the health and well-being of children and youth, was launched in 2012. It offers both financial and in-kind support to Canadian registered charities.  Core programs include the Hospital Transportation Program which donates Aeroplan Miles to pediatric hospitals across Canada enabling children to access medical care unavailable locally and the Volunteer Involvement Program which recognizes the involvement of employees in their local community by providing airline tickets to the registered charities in support of their fundraising initiatives.  The Foundation, in collaboration with the airline, also engages directly in fundraising activities such as the Every Bit Counts program, which encourages customers to donate loose change of all denominations onboard flights or through airport collection containers, as well as through various fundraising events. The Foundation also offers continued support to major health-related causes that benefit Canadians and is an active participant in international humanitarian relief activity as the need arises.  For more information about the Air Canada Foundation and its impact, please visit www.aircanada.com/foundation  or www.aircanada.com/citizensoftheworld2017.

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For further information:

Meagan Conn
Project Manager, Public Relations and Government Affairs
Breakfast Club of Canada
Meagan.Conn@breakfastclubcanada.org
1 866 794-4900, extension 3704

Since their relationship began, the Air Canada Foundation has invested more than .2 million dollars and their contributions to BCC have helped them serve close to 2 million breakfasts to more than 11,000 students. In addition, 1,500 Indigenous students from high-need communities in Alberta and Manitoba now have access to healthy food options via newly established school breakfast programs.

In 2019, the Air Canada Foundation also committed to funding the opening of two priority breakfast programs in the Northwest Territories and Yukon. They are also sustaining three breakfast programs in remote schools by covering the costs of food purchases and kitchen equipment.

“Our mission is the health and wellness of kids and we do this through three main pillars: helping sick kids get better, alleviating child poverty and making dreams come true,” explains Durand.

When it comes to that last pillar of making dreams come true, Durand points to the Shooting for the Stars initiative. Every year, three to four Indigenous youth from British Columbia enjoy a trip to Montreal to meet their hockey idol, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price. Children are selected from communities where Price played hockey as a youth.

As an FNMI ambassador for BCC, Price is a role model for young people across the country, but especially for those who share his Indigenous heritage. Clowery says that the five-year Shooting for the Stars initiative was a real highlight of the organizations’ partnership and one that has had a real impact on the communities that the children come from.

“Air Canada was one of the first partners to help us with funding for the Indigenous community and that was a huge milestone for us,” says Clowery. “Over the years, every time we needed them to be part of something, they’ve always raised their hand.”