If you happen to see a large contingent of RCMP cruisers and city Municipal Enforcement vehicles in front of the Real Canadian Superstore on Veterans Boulevard this weekend, be assured there's no emergency.
On Saturday, September 23, from 9 to 3 p.m. the Stuff the Cruiser Food Drive for the Airdrie Food Bank will be taking place. Suzanne Turner, Store Manager said that the store will have food bank bags already prepared and on hand to begin the event.
Turner explained that customers can purchase bags for $5 and $10 that will also be put into the cruisers.
"They can make their own choices and put them either in the cruisers or the bins at the front of the store. If they don't come inside, they can also bring anything from their pantry that is appropriate to donate, and put those in the cruisers as well."
She added that customers who come into the store on Saturday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. will also be given a paper which lists the Airdrie Food Bank's most needed items.
"Their needs right now are definitely back-to-school needs. Granola bars, fruit roll-ups, pudding cups..."
Cst. Jennifer Weedmark of the Airdrie RCMP, who will be participating in the event on Saturday, said that the RCMP's participation is a vital demonstration of how they support their community partners.
"We're all helpers [and] we're all here to help serve our community. We love being asked to proactively participate in events like this to show our community members that we care," Cst. Weedmark said "[And] the kids always love seeing any kind of police cruiser. If we can reinforce that we are approachable, and have great visibility - it helps with any important cause such as the Airdrie Food Bank"
Cst. Weedmark who is one of several Airdrie RCMP school resource officers, said that school resource officers, know very well the importance of nutrition for kids and how it impacts their behaviour.
"The Airdrie Food Bank provides snacks and meals to 31 Airdrie schools; so if we can help them out, we're definitely happy to."
When asked about the Airdrie RCMP and Municipal Enforcement participating in the event, Turner said it's an opportunity for residents to see police in a different role.
"They do such great work in the community that no one ever hears about and this is just another way for us to celebrate that," she said.
Turner noted that an article on DiscoverAirdrie prompted her to want to organize an event such as this.
"We're here to feed everyone; we're here to be the store where you can pick up $1,000 worth of groceries, or $200 worth of groceries and feed your family. We want to make sure that food is accessible to everyone."
Gift cards can also be donated during the event, and Turner reminded residents of Airdrie's Superstore.
The Airdrie Food Bank has noted that they have seen a considerable uptick in residents using their services.
"55 per cent more people served [compared to last year] by the food bank. 44 per cent of those are children, which is 12 per cent higher than the national average. We know that our community has young kids, and a lot of kids go to school hungry so our appeal for kids programs is essential to the food bank," Christine Taylor, Marketing and Communication Manager at the Airdrie Food Bank stated previously.
During the food bank's most recent city-wide food drive, 62,633 pounds of food was collected, with over 3,100 Airdronians donating food.
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