Toonies for Tummies goes West

Toonies for Tummies is expanding its campaign benefitting student nutrition into Western Canada next year, after Overwaitea's Save-On Foods banner agreed to participate in the program.

“We felt that this was the time to take on a new area and a new partner,” said Michelle Scott, executive director of The Grocery Foundation, the not-for-profit that runs the program that provides nutritious breakfasts and snacks for school children.

“Overwaitea Food Group was an obvious choice for us,” she said, given it will be present in all four western provinces next year. (Save-On-Foods does not currently have stores in Manitoba but will have stores there next year as part of its expansion across the Prairies.)

The Toonies for Tummies campaign takes place Feb. 9. to 23. More than 150 Save-On-Foods stores will participate. Metro, Food Basics, Longo’s and 60 independents who have supported the campaign in Ontario for several years, are also returning.

With the addition of Save-On Foods, more than 500 stores will take part in the two-week campaign next winter.

Money raised stays in the communities where the donations were made. Research by the foundation a few years ago found consumers are more likely to make a donation if they know the funds are staying in their communities.

“That’s something we’re very proud of—that we’re able to make it local in every community that the stores are in," Scott said.

The foundation plans to extend its media buy on Rogers Media to Western Canada, and Cityline host Tracy Moore will return as Toonies for Tummies ambassador. (Canadian Grocer is owned by Rogers Media.)

The program is supported by social media, in-store POS, flyer and digital in-store marketing support.

A program that gets students involved in sharing ideas about student nutrition will also continue next year.