Edgar Burton Food Drive seeks 'one more can'

If Edgar Burton were here today, he'd be ecstatic with how the food drive he started has grown into one of the largest of its kind in all of Canada.

Burton died in 2010 after fighting cancer. His wife, Sharon Burton, said she knows he is smiling down on all the people who help organize the annual Edgar Burton Christmas Food Drive, and certainly on those who contribute to its cause. This year marks 26 years for the food drive.

“It's overwhelming, and Edgar would be so proud,” said Sharon. “He's smiling down on us right now.”

Burton worked at Inco, now Vale, for 36 years, and he started the company's first food drive when his daughters came home and wondered why people in the community were hungry, said Angie Robson, a spokesperson for Vale.

“He started a food drive that has now grown into one of the largest in all of Canada,” she said. “Last year, we had more than 400 businesses on board, as well as many area schools, and it all added up to 100 tons of food for the Sudbury Food Bank.”

Vale and United Steel Workers have launched their internal food drive already.

“Edgar has a very special place in all of our hearts,” Robson said. “We're still very proud of Edgar and what he started, and it's an amazing tradition that our company always looks forward to.”

Robson and Sharon Burton were among the dozens of people who gathered at the New Sudbury Shopping Centre on Nov. 14 to launch this year's campaign. It runs until Dec. 20.

As always, the goal is “one more can this year,” said Robson, and while it's an ambitious goal to try and beat 100 tons, she said with the enthusiasm with all the students involved in the Kids Helping Kids campaign — incorporated into the campaign six years ago — and everyone else, she is confident the campaign will collect even more this year.

Sudbury Food Bank Executive Director Dan Xilon said Edgar Burton's vision was always to get the idea of a community food drive throughout all of Ontario, and now that's happening. He said Barrie is taking what is happening in Sudbury and emulating it in their community.

“But the ultimate goal is for the entire province to do something like this,” he said.

The Edgar Burton Christmas Food Drive collects approximately 25 per cent of the food doled out by the Sudbury Food Bank over the holiday season, and the plan is to make that food stretch until March.

“We also do get funds through this campaign, and while we would never say no to a can of beans, if I get the $1 you would spend on that can of beans, I can turn that into four cans of beans, and they'll be good, nutritional beans,” Xilon said.

That being said, there is still lots of room for areas businesses and schools to participate.

“It's such an easy thing to do, and while some businesses go above and beyond with their food drive, it could be something as simple as having every employee bringing in one canned food item on one particular day, and there you go, you have a food drive.

“Every can makes a difference, and a couple bags of groceries makes a huge difference in what we do.”

For anyone looking to make a donation online, they can visit helpingfood.org for more information.