The 10th anniversary of "Brake for Breakfast" was a massive success, with the Portage la Prairie community showing incredible generosity on a beautiful fall day. This annual event, which supports breakfast programs for all schools in the Portage Division, saw a surge in donations.
For the first time ever, the $10,000 mark was eclipsed with a grand total of $10,180 tallied up after it was all counted. This was on top of 2815 boxes of cereal. It was a total that was overwhelming. School social worker Cori Asham was at the event from beginning to end and was once again amazed by the community's generosity.
“This program takes a lot to pull off. From the people who volunteer at the schools to all the donations, it's incredible. And this one-day event is crucial to make it all happen. Hundreds of kids rely on these programs every day. These programs make a real difference, and they wouldn't happen without the community’s support."
The day-long event saw all kinds of volunteers from the schools and the division busy unloading donations at the Sobey’s parking lot. The event kicked off at 6 a.m. and it was shortly after that the first donation rolled in. And those donations continued to roll in right up until the end of the day at 8 p.m.
Dino's Appliance and Mattress Centre has been a part of the event for all ten years and even though they provided one of the main grand prizes, a $1000 queen size mattress, new owner Brent Gertridge stopped by with a large donation.
"It looks great, I hope it is a fantastic day."
Sobeys is also providing a $1000 gift card for someone that donated with all the prize winners being announced later today.
Originally launched ten years ago to help a single school’s breakfast program, "Brake for Breakfast" has since grown to support all schools in the division. Each donation ensures that students have the nutrition they need to start their day strong.