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Local Independent Grocer Donates $35,000 to Help Fuel School Breakfasts

Vinces Market, an independent grocery store in Ontario, has donated a record $35,419 to the Make Happy Tummies program through its 2024 community product initiative. This donation supports the Grocery Foundation’s nationwide school nutrition campaign, Toonies for Tummies. This is the largest donation in the seven-year history of the Vinces Market Cares initiative, which has also provided support for local organizations like the Canadian Mental Health Association, Women’s Centre of York Region, and Southlake Health.

Representatives from Vinces Market, the Grocery Foundation, and the Alzheimer Society of York Region, Simcoe County, and Durham Region recently met to present the donation cheque. The money raised over the past year through the sale of certain Vinces Market community products and corporate sponsorships will support breakfast programs run by Student Nutrition Ontario and Breakfast Club of Canada, both partners of the Grocery Foundation.

Make Happy Tummies is an initiative of The Grocery Foundation and is supported by nearly 1,500 grocery retailers across Canada. During previous years, Vinces Market participated in the foundation’s annual two-week campaign. However, in 2024, they decided to do more by raising funds for a whole year for this important organization. Make Happy Tummies helps nourish one in three children at risk of going to school hungry.

Looking ahead to its 2025 campaign, Vinces Market has chosen the Alzheimer Society. Funds raised this year will support services and programs for people with dementia and their caregivers in York Region, Simcoe County, and Durham Region. Since 2018, Vinces Market’s community product initiative has raised $178,928. The team already has nine sponsors onboard for the 2025 campaign and hopes to beat the 2024 record contribution. Vinces Market has locations in Newmarket, Sharon, Uxbridge, and Tottenham.