Soccer league kicks in $2,500 for London school nutrition program

A London elementary school is getting a boost for its student nutrition program thanks to a donation from a local soccer league. Reta Ismail reports.

A London elementary school is getting a boost for its student nutrition program thanks to a donation from a local soccer league.

The Middlesex Masters Soccer League (MMSL) has donated $2,500 to St. Pius X Catholic School to support its lunch and snack program for students in need.

The donation was inspired by concerns around food insecurity in local schools, particularly among younger children.

“Schools seem to be suffering with proper, healthy, nutritious snacks for the students, especially at the formative years,” said Juergen Belle, chair of the Middlesex Masters Soccer League. “That’s something we really want to gear for, giving healthy food for the formative kids from JK all the way up to Grade 5 and 6.”

School officials say the funding will help strengthen an existing program that supports all students.

“It’s a game changer,” said St. Pius X Catholic School Principal Mark Chortos. “It allows us to top up the nutrition program that we already have in place, and we feed all of our students with it. So, some students will come without snacks, and then others will come, and we’re able to provide a little bit more nutritional value to their lunches.”

Support from the school board helped turn the idea into a broader community partnership.

“This is crucial because all of our schools could benefit from this program,” said Gabe Pizzutti, chair of the London District Catholic School Board. “We have students who are in need. And the biggest part is that if we could provide this for all of our schools, we would. Unfortunately, we can’t, so sustainability, where we have partners in our community is very, very important.”

The donation reflects a collective decision by MMSL members, representing 30 clubs, 60 teams, and approximately 1,200 players, who voted to give back to the community that has supported the league for more than 35 years.

The league says while it’s proud to support St. Pius X Catholic School, its broader goal is to highlight the growing need for school-based food programs, and the role community partnerships play in ensuring students have access to nutritious meals during the school day.

The Student Nutrition Program provides free breakfast, lunch, and snacks to school-age children across Ontario and relies on volunteers and community partners to operate.