Credit: Vanessa Ng
Local shopping giant London Drugs has joined with grassroots charity initiative Five Hole for Food (FHFF) in doing something it knows best – redefining communities, through grit and good intentions.
The company is partnering with FHFF, providing monetary and promotional support, to help food banks across Canada stock up on food that can be far too fleeting in the summer.
By using online channels such as social media, London Drugs hopes to help generate conversations about FHFF’s street hockey tour and donation collections. It’s also brainstorming other methods of providing support, including having staffers face off in a street hockey game.
“It’s sort of a natural thing for us to participate in,” said Wayne Racine, web manager for the marketing department of London Drugs. “Hockey is a really big part of Canada, and the initiative sounded like something we could really get behind.”
Racine believes social media will be particularly integral in FHFF’s continued growth as it enables the community to keep up-to-date with news from the road. The mobility of mediums such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs will make it easier for FHFF’s crew to share information that London Drugs can retweet or generate conversations about.
“London Drugs is a company that continues giving back to the communtiy,” said FHFF founder Richard Loat. “Their generous support will help us help food banks from across the country this summer.”
The partnership follows a long history of London Drugs working to improve the community by supporting charities and other local initiatives.
London Drugs, which formed in 1945 on Vancouver’s Main Street during a time of optimism following the Second World War, achieved its success through unorthodox means. London Drugs took risks, bringing a range of products that were typically sold in specialty stores at the time under one roof. These bold moves and loyal customers helped it flourish into a community staple with locations in four different provinces. It has since created a policy of honouring its humble roots by looking for opportunities to invest in initiatives that would improve society.
This year’s FHFF summer road trip kicks off June 23 in St. John’s, Nfld. We’re driving across Canada, visiting 13 cities in 17 days.
