On November 14, Daily Bread Food Bank partnered with Virgin Radio 99.9 for the Fearless Food Drive, inspired by Taylor Swift’s philanthropic legacy.
Braving the early morning chill, 576 fans donated an incredible 6,632 pounds of food in just six hours. With each donation of non-perishable food, attendees earned an opportunity to win tickets to Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour.
Jillian, who travelled from Halifax to attend the concert, joined the throngs of fans to make her donation to the food drive. “Even though I’m from Halifax, it’s important to me to follow Taylor’s lead and support communities in need,” she said.
While the event was filled with excitement, it was also an opportunity to reflect on the city’s growing food insecurity crisis, shown through the historic high of 3.49 million food bank visits that Toronto saw in the past year (Who’s Hungry 2024). “These are not records you want to break,” said Daryn Jones of Virgin Radio’s Daryn & Deepa. Daily Bread Food Bank CEO Neil Hetherington echoed the sentiment: “No, they’re not. What we want to do is break hunger and poverty and have a city where everyone can thrive.”
The event also drew support from local business leaders, including Jennifer Teixeira, Vice President of NOFRILLS Operations, who emphasized the company’s commitment to Torontonians. “NOFRILLS is not just a grocery store,” she said. “We love to serve and support the communities where we have our stores, and we would like to contribute to this great cause by donating $5,000 to Daily Bread Food Bank.”
Rachel Dam was the lucky winner of tickets to the Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour, while Geneva Hewetson earned the $1,000 bonus prize for her incredible contribution of over 100 pounds of non-perishable food. Virgin Radio has graciously matched that prize, with a $1,000 donation to Daily Bread.
A special thank you to Virgin Radio 99.9 and everyone who came out to support Daily Bread’s fight to end hunger in our city.
Check out our Facebook and Instagram posts if you would like to see more pics from the day.
Donate today if you would like to support essential food programs and ensure that all Torontonians have access to fresh, nutritious food.
