The Big Give Surpasses Goal With Massive Donation From The Mosaic Company
With the words of “it reads drum roll here” and applause Rob Clark CEO of the Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce announced that The Big Give had just surpassed its $20,000 goal with a $10,000 donation from the Mosaic Company.
Presently the total raised for The Big Give is $24,277 with Clark saying that despite reaching the goal more donations are welcome.
“Let’s keep on going, let’s not stop…let’s keep on going we have 12 more days,” Clark said at a media event to not only announce Mosaic’s donation but also the first 50 nutritious restaurant meals from the Mad Greek restaurant. The Mad Greek is one of numerous local restaurants who are participating in the program.
As part of the announcement representatives from four local organizations - Conexus Credit Union, Hunger in Moose Jaw, Golden West Radio and Moose Jaw Pride were on hand volunteering their time to deliver the meals.
John Iatridis (left), owner of the Mad Greek Restaurant, looks on from behind the boxes holding the first 50 meals as Rob Clark CEO of the Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce announces Mosaic’s donation - MJ Independent photo
The Big Give is win win food drive program to assist not only those who have been going through hard times to enjoy a nutritious restaurant meal but also to gives back to local participating restaurants who have suffered economically due to public health restrictions because of the COVID - 19 pandemic. The cost of the meals work out to about $10 per restaurant meal donated.
“You all know what the project or campaign has been all about, generating revenue to feed back to the restaurants to make food to feed back to the people who could use a healthy nutritional meal,” Clark said describing what The Big Give is all about.
“Mosaic remains committed to investing in the city of Moose Jaw with initiatives like The Big Give. The pandemic has impacted and challenged local businesses – especially restaurants, and members of the Moose Jaw community. We’re providing $10,000 to help the Chamber’s Big Give campaign over the top of its goal as a way to support a community and its people through two incredible organizations that we have proudly partnered with for many years.” Sarah Fedorchuk, Vice President Government and Public Affairs - North America for Mosaic Company said in a statement.
Clark said Mosaic’s contribution to The Big Give demonstrated the giant in the potash industry was continuing to be committed to Moose Jaw.
“Mosaic remains committed to investing in the City of Moose Jaw and that includes The Big Give.”
Recently the Mosaic Company announced it was focusing its community investments in the areas food security and water security and will no longer pay for the naming rights to Mosaic Place. Mosaic also said they are not reducing the amount they will be investing into community projects.
The first 50 meals in The Big Give program are set to be delivered. From left to right are Erin Hildebaugh (Moose Jaw Pride), Sharla Sept (Hunger in Moose Jaw), Heather Bergdahl and Rob Clark (Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce), Leslie Campbell (Golden West Radio), Marta Woodrow (Conexus Credit Union) and John Iatridis - front row - from the Mad Greek Restaurant.- MJ Independent photo
Clark spoke about the infancy of The Big Give and how it all started in the weekly Chamber Zoom meetings when Rob Ritchie from the Moose Jaw Express newspaper offered to throw in the first $500 to get the entire program rolling.
He admitted when they first started to organizing The Big Give they had initially aimed for only “$5,000 as the maximum and here we are just short of $25,000 and still going.”
For Clark the success of The Big Give is just another example of what Moose Jaw is all about.
“Thanks to everybody in Moose Jaw. It is the community that has been behind Moose Jaw and it’s important we keep on supporting Moose Jaw…this is the community supporting the community. This is a resilient community helping each other out.”