March 14, 2011


The Live Free Campaign is wrapping up after another successful year. Sixty-eight schools and over 32,000 students participated across Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, up from 56 schools and 28,000 students last year.

Thanks to our participants the Live Free Campaign raised $33,700, up from $30,000 in 2010! This money will benefit Food and Friends, a program of the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington. Food and Friends has over 75 student nutrition programs across Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph.

Live Free Day was buzzing with excitement as students from St. Peter’s Catholic School joined us in their gym for the kick-off breakfast. Many representatives from participating businesses came by to enjoy breakfast, including Liz Sandals office, staff of Guelph Hydro, Best Western, Meridian Credit Union, MacMillan Marketing Group, and the Wellington Catholic District School Board. We were delighted to hear a song written about Food and Friends by Paul Clarke, the music teacher, sung by students in the gym and even broadcasted live on Magic 106.1!

We had a chance to stop by Sacred Heart where we were greeted by excited students who performed a Live Free cheer for us. Their Live Free pledges included "Living Free of negative thoughts,” and "Living Free of complaining about being hungry.”

Many businesses across Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph had special events going on- we stopped by Guelph Hydro for some delicious chilli, with all donations benefiting the Live Free Campaign. Macmillan Marketing Group ran a great Live Free @ Work campaign, raising over $1,000!

A special thank-you to Magic 106.1 and Inside Guelph for their coverage on the campaign, and thank you to OTIP and RBC for sponsoring marketing materials. Thanks to our sponsors, each dollar raised will go directly to Food and Friends programs.

Thank you to all our supporters and participants for helping students across your community hunger for knowledge, and not for food!

Click here to view pictures from Live Free Day!

Students with both school boards have taken the Live Free Challenge and planned a host of activities in support of Halton Food for Thought.

Sales of treats, donation drives and dress down days are a few of the fun activities planned by students to support school-based nutrition programs throughout Halton Region.

Nutrition for Learning is excited to have 5 Secondary Schools, 5 Public Schools, and 3 Alternative Schools participating in the Live Free Campaign in support of Student Nutrition Programs in Waterloo Region.

Live Free @ Life Participants in Waterloo Region include 10 people of various backgrounds including local business professionals, students, principals and professionals

TD Canada Trust shows its support of the Live Free Campaign: Halton through a generous donation for $3,000.

Regional Chair Gary Carr along with the four Mayors representing the Region of Halton: Mayor Rick Goldring , Burlington; Mayor Rob Burton, Oakville; Mayor Gordon Krantz, Milton and Mayor Rick Bonnett, Halton Hills attended the official launch of Halton Food for Thought's Live Free Campaign.

We are grateful for the continued support of our leaders in the Region of Halton! Their show of support is indicative of the caring community we live in.

We're celebrating Live Free Day with St. Peter's Catholic School in Guelph!

Preparations under way. Join us March 4th with Magic 106.1! You can still register to participate as a school, business or individual- take the challenge, sign up today!

To show their support for student nutrition programs across Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, team members of the Guelph Storm are putting their (razor) blades away for the week of March 4th.

Sarah Twigger, the Community Relations Coordinator for the team told us, "The Guelph Storm is such a great avenue to spread the word about the Live Free Campaign. We’re happy to help support these programs in any way we can- our players know the importance of a healthy breakfast!"

Here's to a hairy week, gents!

Take the challenge- Sign Up today!

Mayor Farbridge is living free of breakfast on March 4th, in support of student nutrition programs. In a recent blog post, the Mayor said,

"I am giving up breakfast on Live Free Day – a small sacrifice to support the many students in our community who, without Food and Friends, would go to school too hungry to learn."

See Mayor Farbridge's Blog post about the Live Free Campaign here.

Musician James Gordon is also on board for the Live Free Campaign's third year, living free of non-local, packaged food for the day.

Take the challenge- Sign Up today!