TORONTO — The Canadian Association of Food Banks took the opportunity during a VIP Breakfast at the 2006 Truck World show to thank Canada’s transportation “heroes” for their generosity in donating trucks and drivers to help feed Canada’s hungry.

On behalf of the trucking industry, Canadian Trucking Alliance CEO David Bradley was presented with a certificate recognizing transportation services donated by truckers.

“Without the generosity of our friends in the transportation industry, we could not accomplish to fulfill our mandate to meet the needs of hungry Canadians — your support is vital to our efforts,” said Charles Seiden, executive director of the Canadian Association of Food Banks. He cited fleets like Robert Transport, XTL Transport, and Bison Transport, for their special contributions.

Food bank shelves coast-to-coast are stocked because of the generosity of shipping donors in the trucking, train and container ship industry, added Saskatchewan’s regional Food Bank executive Wayne Hellquist.

Through the National Food Sharing System, CAFB moved ten million pounds of food to provincial distribution centres in 2005; an effort only possible thanks to the generosity of the Canadian transportation industry, says Hellquist.

‘One of the things I’m constantly asked is ‘do we really need all the food banks,” Hellquist said. “The truth is we really do. There are kids that wake up in the morning and open the refrigerator and all they see is a light bulb.”
Bradley said many CTA members and drivers “have experienced tough times at one point or another, but there is always someone that is far worse off.

“To be able to lend a hand to the food banks by doing what we do best is a great opportunity to give something back to the community.”