Oakville Rangers take aim at 130,000 pounds for food drive

The Oakville Rangers Hockey Club scores often on the ice, but it’s the assists they’re racking up off it that is making a big difference in the community.

The local hockey organization’s Gift of Giving Back Campaign has returned with a bigger goal than ever.

After raising over 122,000 pounds for its partner charities last year, the Oakville Rangers hope to collect more than 130,000 pounds this season between Sept. 25 and Dec. 4^th.

All food collected will be distributed to the Kerr Street Mission, Salvation Army, Food For Life, Halton Women’s Place, ROCK (Reach Out Centre For Kids) and the Compassion Society.

The Gift of Giving Back Food Drive is all about kids feeding kids.

“Many in our community are struggling with making ends meet – and the kids growing up in these families are suffering from many societal issues, including poverty, hunger, lack of housing, and illness,” said the Rangers hockey club on its website. “These issues affect all of us. So, we want to involve all of our Oakville Ranger families in participating in this amazing food drive.”

The hockey club said the food donation was founded on these four principles:

• To encourage compassion in our young people for those in need or in crisis.
• To connect them to the hard-working agencies which support the vulnerable in our communities and also to our larger community institutions.
• To inspire our kids to lift other kids up through their own work and actions.
• To motivate them and their families to embrace community traditions of volunteerism.

The minor hockey club says it needs the public’s help to ensure this year’s Gift of Giving Back is a success and to inspire our kids to give back within our community.

Here’s a list of important food items that teams are looking to collect.

Most needed:

• Tomato Products (pasta sauce, crushed tomato, diced tomato, tomato paste)
• Canned Fruit (peaches, pineapple, fruit cocktail, pear)
• Canned Chili
• Pasta (regular and gluten-free)
• Canned Fish/Meat (turkey, chicken, luncheon meat, corned beef, salmon, sardines)

Other Items:

• Cooking Oil (plastic bottle)
• Broth
• Canned Vegetables (corn, mushrooms, peas)

As well as food items, teams can also contribute financial donations that will go towards the total team weight.

Fundraising ideas include Tip Tap Donation Machines, grocery store visits, bottle drives, car washes, raffles and bingo nights.

Teams will collect food and raise funds until Dec. 4. Signing up for team food drop offs will take place the week of Nov. 13^th as will volunteer sign up.

Food will be dropped off on Dec. 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th at St. Thomas of Acquinas Secondary School, located on 124 Dorval Rd.

“We need all of our Ranger families to join the challenge and start collecting,” said the Oakville Rangers Hockey Club.

For more information, visit here.