‘Friendly competition’ to collect food for Collingwood Sally Ann

Collingwood’s downtown businesses will be facing off in a battle to see who can gather the most donations for the Collingwood Salvation Army Food Bank starting next week.

On Nov. 19, a major week-long Christmas food drive will kick off in Collingwood’s downtown, with local businesses competing to see who can raise the most in donations. The winning business will receive, along with bragging rights, a $50 gift certificate to Sõl Kitchen.

The brainchild of Vaiya employee Zena Neville, she told CollingwoodToday this week that she was spurned to action following a routine dog-walking. Neville regularly walks her golden retriever Marley in Collingwood’s downtown between shifts at her job and on a recent walk, Neville says her mind turned to people across Collingwood who are struggling this year.

“In all the time I've worked on the street I've never seen the stores come together and run a street-wide food drive for our local Salvation Army,” said Neville. “So I called the Salvation Army to find out what they needed then I simply walked the street and asked (business owners) if they would accept donations at their stores and blast it out on their social media.”

All participating businesses on Hurontario will have posters in their windows alerting customers to their participation, as well as a list of which items are most needed such as canned tomatoes, breakfast bars, fruits, vegetables, juice boxes, soup, cookies and peanut-free snacks.

“The response was absolutely heartwarming. Pretty much everyone I asked was absolutely on-board,” said Neville.

“I thought a little friendly competition was good,” she said. “And honestly, my goal is just to fill as many boxes as possible to make it that much easier on people's food insecurity.”

“This is the first year for this event and I hope to not make it the last,” said Neville.

Businesses participating so far include Fearless Vanity, Press Juice, The Collingwood Foundry, Stackhouse Chiropractic, Vaiya, The Body Bar & Kaola Spa, The Northwood Club, Bishop Botanicals, Blue Mountain Tea Co., Cora's, 1858 Caeser Bar, Well Baby, Awear and Metra. 

Food bank donations will be accepted at businesses downtown from Nov. 19 to 25.