The Grocery Foundation enters a new era
The Grocery Foundation today announced it is renaming its annual fundraising gala the Make Happy Tummies Gala.
The move reflects an evolution of the event, which has been presented under different names over the years including the previous Night to Nurture Gala and prior to that, the GIFT Gala. While names and formats may have evolved, The Foundation’s leaders are quick to emphasize that the goal of the event remains unchanged: uniting the grocery industry to support children.
“This purposeful evolution reflects our continued commitment to maximize our impact to the communities that we serve,” The Foundation’s executive director Simon Small told Canadian Grocer. “By deepening and expanding student nutrition initiatives across Canada by focusing the gala on Make Happy Tummies and student nutrition, we are not only honouring the powerful legacy, but we’re advancing student nutrition and we’re investing in what comes next with that shared goal of building one of Canada’s most impactful and respected cause-based initiatives.”
Since 1979, The Foundation, through its gala and in-store and online fundraising events, has raised more than $125 million to help kids and families across Canada. With the need in communities greater than ever, collaboration is critical to tackle the problem of child hunger.
“We’ve got the chance to nurture something truly special. We think it’s a cause-based initiative that Canadians recognize, trust and care deeply about … and one that our industry can increasingly feel proud to have built and to continue to grow,” said Joe Fusco, senior vice-president at Metro Ontario and chair of The Foundation. “We feel that Make Happy Tummies and The Grocery Foundation should be our industry’s charity of choice. Together, we can make a bigger and more effective impact.”
Fusco noted The Foundation’s work supporting school nutrition programs makes an immediate impact and lasting difference children’s lives.
“We’re proud of how far we’ve come and excited for what’s next, including the Make Happy Tummies gala in 2027 (taking place on January 30),” said Fusco.
Last year, The Foundation launched Make Happy Tummies (previously Toonies for Tummies) as the new brand for its annual grocery store fundraiser; in its first year it set new records for donations and in-store and online shopper engagement. Work is underway to expand it to a year-round platform that will engage retailers, CPG brands, foodservice partners, employees and shoppers.
READ: Make Happy Tummies expands network with new national partnerships
The Foundation has also announced it has concluded its 16-year partnership with Kids Help Phone, a relationship it describes as “a meaningful” chapter in its history and through which more than $33 million was raised, including $17 million to support youth mental health in Canada. The move allows the two organizations to focus on where they can make the most impact.
“Together, we walked through some of the most challenging moments in recent years,” said Small of the partnership with Kids Help Phone. But “as both organizations have grown so, too, has the opportunity to focus on where we can make the greatest difference. For The Grocery Foundation, that focus is clear: nourishing children through student nutrition—at the earliest and most impactful moment.”
