The Calgary Stampeders and Purolator are proud to team up for the annual Purolator Tackle Hunger food drive during the Saturday, July 23 home game against the Edmonton Eskimos. Kickoff for the game is 5 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items or cash donations to the game and drop them off to the Purolator and Food Bank volunteers, as well as wives and girlfriends of Stampeders coaches and players stationed at the stadium gates.

In return, fans have the opportunity to win an autographed Henry Burris jersey, receive a souvenir photo with the Grey Cup and enter a draw to win two tickets to the 2011 Grey Cup in Vancouver. Stampeders quarterback Henry Burris has been the team’s player representative with Purolator for the past five seasons.

Thanks to the the generosity of Stampeders fans, 53,900 pounds of food were collected for the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank through last year’s Purolator Tackle Hunger program.

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The Purolator Tackle Hunger program is held in conjunction with the Stampeders’ annual Be a Fan, Bring a Can food drive which had been held annually during the Labour Day Classic in September. All food and cash donations collected at the game will go to the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank.
 
“The entire Calgary Stampeders organization is proud to be a part of this program,” said Stampeders president/COO Lyle Bauer.

In addition to the food drive, every time a CFL quarterback gets sacked throughout the regular season, Purolator will donate the equivalent of the quarterback’s weight in food to the CFL hometown food bank.
 
“Purolator is proud to continue to work with the Stampeders and the Calgary Food Bank on the Purolator Tackle Hunger program,” said Jason Edwards, Purolator Sales Director for the Prairies region. “With the support of our local Purolator team mates, the Stampeders and the Food Bank, we are encouraging fans to bring a donation to this Saturday’s game, get their photo with the Grey Cup, and help tackle hunger in their community.”
 
Over the past five years, CFL fans have helped Purolator deliver more than three million pounds of food for food banks across Canada while the Be a Fan Bring a Can food drive had raised approximately  $425,000 worth of food and donations since its inception.

“The Calgary Food Bank, the Calgary Stampeders, and Purolator have in common a commitment to help alleviate hunger in Calgary,” said Calgary Food Bank CEO James McAra. “For almost 20 years, we have been working together to collect and distribute food to Calgarians in need.

“Tackle Hunger is an important annual event that not only collects a significant amount of food and cash donations for the Food Bank but also helps raise awareness about the issue of hunger. This year, our Emergency Food Hamper Program will provide food to more than 140,000 Calgarians; almost 60,000 of these will be children! Because of initiatives like Tackle Hunger, the Food Bank continues to be able to provide the support so many Calgarians need.”