MOVATI Athletic says it will donate $80,185 to food banks in Ontario and Edmonton following a fundraising campaign that also collected nearly 3,500 pounds of food through its fitness club network.
The company said its MOVATI Cares initiatives, including Shake Days and a spring food drive, generated support from members, employees and partners to help address food insecurity in the communities where it operates.
Shake Days, held from April 13 to 15, resulted in the sale of 7,925 shakes and raised $73,725, according to the company. An additional contribution of $6,460 from Gruppo Nutrition brought the total donation to $80,185, which will go to Feed Ontario and Edmonton’s Food Bank.
The company also said its MOVATI Cares Spring Food Drive collected 3,499 pounds of food across its clubs, with each location partnering with a local food bank to distribute donations within its own community.
Participating clubs in Alberta supported Edmonton’s Food Bank, while Ontario clubs partnered with organizations including the Ottawa Food Bank, Burlington Food Bank, Guelph Food Bank, Waterloo Region Food Bank, Food Bank of York Region and Regional Food Distribution Association.
Additional partnerships included Eden Food for Change in Mississauga, UHC – Hub of Opportunities in Windsor, Amherstburg Food and Fellowship Mission, Brantford Food Bank, Kanata Food Cupboard and Kingsville Community Food Bank.
The company said the combined fundraising and food collection efforts are expected to provide more than 164,000 meals to people in need across Ontario and Edmonton.
“The success of our annual Shake Day and Food Drive programs is a testament to the power of our MOVATI community,” said Chuck Kelly, President and CEO of MOVATI. “Thank you to our members, team members, and partners for once again surpassing our goals and helping us create meaningful change for those who need it most.”
MOVATI said the MOVATI Cares program was developed to support charitable organizations focused on helping people lead healthier lives. The company said Shake Days directs 100 per cent of proceeds from MOVATI Café shake sales to partner food banks.
According to the company, Feed Ontario uses bulk purchasing to support food banks across the province, while Edmonton’s Food Bank supports more than 34,000 people each month and distributes more than 400,000 meals and snacks monthly through community partners.
Founded in 1997, MOVATI Athletic operates 19 locations across Ontario and Alberta and employs more than 2,000 people, according to the company.
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