'Affects us all': Food insecurity the focus of Thanksgiving walk in Calgary

Thanksgiving walk for charity Hundreds walked together on Thanksgiving Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, to raise money and awareness for The Calgary Food Bank.

Hundreds of Calgarians gathered together on Thanksgiving Monday to fight food insecurity with a charity walk for The Calgary Food Bank.

The walk started at Peace Park on the corner of Eighth Street and Second Avenue S.W. at 8 a.m.

"Today is about raising funds and raising awareness about food insecurity and the amazing work that the Calgary Food Bank does," said organizer Doug Lavoie.

"It's a seven-kilometre loop, and people are welcome to do one loop, two loops, three loops – the whole purpose of it was making it all-inclusive."

Lavoie says by 8 a.m., $347,000 had already been raised, a huge increase from the walk's $138,000 in fundraising in 2023.

"Food insecurity affects all of us directly or indirectly," he said.

It's a sentiment Melissa From, president and CEO of the Calgary Food Bank, agrees with.

"Just about everyone knows someone who's using the Food Bank, you just don't realize it," she said. "One of our fastest growing demographics right now is actually folks who are working."

"We are helping out 750 households every single day. We have folks coming from all walks of life; almost 30 per cent of the folks that we're helping out right now are children, and a lot of senior citizens as well.

"750 households a day equates to about 140,000 individuals every year," From added.

In total, about 400 people took part in the walk.