One million dollars - a fruitful contribution - Sobeys Québec and its merchants announce the launch of The Joy of Eating Better Foundation

"The Joy of Eating Better Foundation (CNW Group/Fondation du plaisir de mieux manger)".

To build on their Joy of Eating Better movement that allows the young and the young at heart to eat better by teaching them to cook better and more often, Sobeys Québec and its merchants from IGA, Les Marchés Tradition, and Marché Bonichoix are proud to announce the launch of The Joy of Eating Better Foundation (www.eatbetterfoundation.org).

The Foundation's first fundraiser as part of the GOOD FOR YOU - GOOD FOR US campaign and benefitting the Montreal Heart Institute will take place on February 4th.  Thanks to the generosity of Quebecers and a 30 year-old partnership with IGA merchants, 8 million dollars has already been donated to the institute.

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"The foundation was the next logical step, almost two years after the launch of our Joy of Better Eating movement," says Marie-Noëlle Cano, director of communications & sustainability at Sobeys Québec. "We wanted to capitalize on our expertise and our passion for food while maximizing and centralizing our efforts and contributions. We really wanted to create a synergy between the different causes we support that are directly related to our mission, that of helping the greatest number of people possible from Quebec and New Brunswick to eat better."

Objective: One million!
The Foundation is committed to donating one million dollars to the different causes it supports during its first year of existence. To do so, Sobeys Québec will donate $500,000 over five years, or $100,000 per year. Achieving this goal will rely mainly on in-store fundraising already in place thanks to support from the merchants and generous contributions from their customers. Fundraising events will also be scheduled throughout the year and suppliers will contribute by donating profits from certain products.

The Foundation wants to:

- Bring people together
It aims to help the greatest number of people possible from Quebec and New Brunswick, both young and old, to eat better, simply and enjoyably. To carry out this mission, Sobeys Québec employees along with Quebec and New Brunswick banner merchants have joined forces.

- Make a difference
The Foundation will take a three-pronged approach: providing education about healthy eating, making food donations to those in need, and encouraging people to cook more. The six causes that IGA, Les Marchés Tradition, and Marché Bonichoix banner merchants support under the aegis of the Foundation – the Montreal Heart Institute, the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau, La Tablée des chefs, Meals on Wheels Quebec, The Joy of Eating Better food drive, and most recently, the Fondation OLO– bear witness to this.

- Spread the word
While independent merchants throughout Quebec and New Brunswick are involved in their communities as they have always been and will continue to be, the Foundation wishes to spread the word about numerous organizations related to its mission whose initiatives will be rolled out in most regions of Quebec and New Brunswick. These initiatives will be based mainly on their four pillars: cooking differently and more often, discovering local and international flavours, eating healthier, and making responsible choices.

The Joy of Eating Better Foundation is therefore most anxious to get the ball rolling and hopes to become a reference in healthy eating habits for the people of Quebec and New Brunswick.

The Joy of Eating Better Foundation
The Joy of Eating Better Foundation is an initiative of Sobeys Québec and its merchants that was launched in January 2016. Its mission is to help the greatest number of people possible from Quebec and New Brunswick to eat better based on three components: education about healthy eating, food donations to those in need, and encouraging people to cook more. www.eatbetterfoundation.org | fondationmieuxmanger@sobeys.com

SOURCE Fondation du plaisir de mieux manger