Which City is More Giving, Toronto or Vancouver? Online "Power of 2" Challenge to Benefit Local Food Banks

Cities Go Head-to-Head Online for Civic Pride, Chance to Win a 5-Star Saturday in each City

TORONTO, Oct. 7, 2013 /CNW/ - Starting today, two of Canada's largest cities, Toronto and Vancouver, are taking their civic and sporting rivalry online to decide which is the country's most charitable city. It's the Power of 2 - Toronto vs. Vancouver.

The Power of 2 (www.power-of-2.org), a fundraising initiative dedicated to unlocking celebrity power for social good, gives celebrities (and this time, cities) the opportunity to go beyond the usual gala events and use social media to make meaningful social impact.

There will be only one ultimate 'winner', but the real victors are the two food banks, Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank and the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. All of the funds raised will go towards pro-actively working to help end hunger in our communities.

"We look forward to working with the Daily Bread and sending a message from coast to coast that through collaboration, we can all play a role in supporting our most vulnerable," says Aart Schuurman Hess, CEO, Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. "Our community is extremely supportive and we look forward to the positive impact that the Power of 2 will have on the overall health of our community."

"This is a great way to raise awareness during our Thanksgiving Drive that hunger is a problem that people struggle with right across the country. And poverty is the root of that problem, so let's shine a big light on that and work towards solutions so families can afford to feed their children," says Gail Nyberg, Daily Bread's executive director. "I do feel sorry for Vancouver, though. For some reason, they seem to actually think they have a shot at beating Toronto. They're going to be very disappointed."

To get this Power of 2 'city challenge' off to a great start, Investors Group has made a $15,000 contribution - $7,500 to both Toronto and Vancouver. They firmly believe in the mission and impact of both Daily Bread Food Bank and the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society.

"Investors Group is committed to giving back to the communities in which we live and work, so helping to bring attention to the issue of hunger in Canada is very important to us," said Richard Irish, Vice-President, Community Affairs and Marketing Support. "Many food banks now provide so much more than food. They offer advocacy services, budgeting information, community kitchens and employment and other training programs. The work they do is essential to the vitality of our communities and we are proud to support them."

The Power of 2 is win-win-win: The charities get a big cheque to support their great work, cities get to show their civic pride, and everyone who supports the campaign will be entered into a draw to win a '5-Star Saturday' in their city. You can give and share the campaign at www.power-of-2.org.

About Power of 2
Power of 2 is a PUBLIC Inc. initiative (www.publicinc.com) aimed at unlocking the power of celebrity and communities for social good. PUBLIC is an agency, consultancy and incubator that believes everyone should profit by doing good. PUBLIC mobilizes people through innovative fundraising, advocacy and volunteer engagement campaigns for worthwhile causes. With the Power of 2, the principle is simple. Two celebrities/communities go head-to-head to see who can raise the most money for the charity that they are passionate about. The request to their supporters is to give and get two friends to do the same and see who comes out on top. To up the ante (and the fun) there is a wager on the campaign. This fall, it's Toronto vs. Vancouver, may the most generous city win!

About the Daily Bread Food Bank
Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank is a non-profit, charitable organization that is dedicated to fighting hunger. Daily Bread provides food and resources for people through neighbourhood food banks and meal programs in 170 community agencies across Toronto. Daily Bread member agencies see a monthly average of over 63,000 client visits and provides 3,000 nutritious meals a week that are prepared in our kitchen. We know feeding people struggling with hunger won't solve poverty; that's why Daily Bread does more.  We work to support people by providing job training, researching and educating people on issues of hunger and moving forward with innovative and realistic solutions that will help people break away from poverty. For more information visit: www.dailybread.ca.

About the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society
The Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society (GVFBS) is a non-profit organization with a mission to empower people to nourish themselves by providing access to healthy food, education and training. The GVFBS provides assistance to over 28,000 people weekly through 15 food depots and over 100 community agencies located in Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster and North Vancouver. The GVFBS is committed to its vision of accessible, healthy and sustainable food for all and through community collaboration, is pro-actively working to help end hunger.
For more information visit: www.foodbank.bc.ca.

SOURCE: Investors Group Inc.