Drive Away Hunger tour another success

Guelph, Ontario, October 16, 2006 – Farm Credit Canada’s (FCC) province-wide Drive Away Hunger tour finished the final lap in Guelph today with 350,845 pounds of food for the hungry in rural Ontario.

A team of FCC employees drove two tractors with 16-foot trailers, one from Windsor and one from Ottawa, collecting food in 50 communities across the province. The tour well exceeded the goal of 100,000 pounds.

“We’re amazed by the generosity of our sponsors and the overwhelming response from all the people across  Ontario who dropped off food with us,” says John Geurtjens, Drive Away Hunger tour leader and FCC District Manager in Guelph.

FCC will present the food to the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) at the AgriCentre in Guelph in today.

“The OAFB and its members are grateful that Farm Credit Canada has taken such an active role in helping us feed rural Ontarians in need,” says Adam Spence, OAFB Executive Director. “We hope communities will continue to answer the call of the thousands of hungry persons who are still struggling to make ends meet during this holiday season.”

FCC is also donating $25,000 to the Canadian Association of Food Banks to support the National Food Sharing System. Canada’s food sharing system ensures equitable distribution of food among member food banks across the country.

World Food Day, observed on October 16 each year, helps raise awareness about world food issues and motivates the public to help address hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

Since 2004, Farm Credit Canada’s Drive Away Hunger tours have collected over 518,968 pounds of food for food banks in Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Ontario. In addition to Drive Away Hunger, FCC employees have planned many other hunger-reducing activities across Canada in recognition of World Food Day.

The OAFB is a network of over 100 food banks across the province from Ottawa to Windsor and Niagara Falls to Thunder Bay. With local, provincial and national partners, the OAFB’s mission is to help food banks relieve hunger in the province through food distribution and acquisition, member support, fundraising and advocacy. Over 330,000 Ontarians are served by food banks every month, 40 per cent of whom are children.

FCC is Canada's largest provider of business and financial services to farms and agribusiness. Operating out of 100 offices located primarily in rural Canada, FCC employees are passionate about the business of agriculture. A healthy portfolio of more than $12 billion and 13 consecutive years of portfolio growth are a reflection of our customers' success.

Visit www.DriveAwayHunger.ca for tour route, tour crew, and sponsor information.

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For more information, please contact:

West Tour:

Leanna Jenkins(English)
Communications West
Farm Credit Canada
306-535-3527

Adam Spence  (English)
Executive Director
Ontario Association of Food Banks
416-543-0897

East Tour:

Darren Lacey (English)
Communications East
Farm Credit Canada
306-529-2008

Todd Jacques
Operations Director
Ontario Association of Food Banks
647-287-5375

Aimée Ferré (bilingual)
Public Relations
Farm Credit Canada
306-780-3950