Lifetrack Newsletter

John Baird and the Ottawa Gala give $35,000 to OCRI School Breakfast Program

OTTAWA– John Baird, Member of Parliament for Ottawa-West Nepean presented a cheque for $35,000 as Honourary Chair of the Ottawa Gala to the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) School Breakfast Program on October 2nd. The funds were part of the proceeds from the must-attend event of the Ottawa social season.

Mr. Baird, alongside representatives from Fund for a New Generation, spent the morning serving breakfast to some eager kids at the Grant Alternative School in West Ottawa. The breakfast program offers a healthy start to the day for 8,500 Ottawa children each year.

"OCRI's School Breakfast Program really makes a difference in Ottawa. In my riding alone there are 18 schools that benefit from this great program," said Mr. Baird, Honourary Chair of the 2007 Gala. "It was great to have the opportunity to meet some of the kids these funds will benefit by serving them breakfast today. I applaud the Fund for a New Generation for their efforts to improve the future of children in Ottawa."

Each year, the Fund for New Generation-a volunteer group of young professionals-organizes the Ottawa Gala, a charitable black-tie event attracting many of the capital's young leaders. This year marked the Gala's 15th anniversary. A James Bond inspired 2-007 theme attracted a record number of participants and helped make this year one of the most successful yet.

"Generous donations like the one presented here today by the Fund for a New Generation help us to continue our efforts to ensure all Ottawa schoolchildren start the day with the same advantages," said Jeffrey Dale, President of OCRI. "We know that a nutritious breakfast helps improves concentration, behaviour and self-esteem in children. Proper nutrition helps children learn and the OCRI School Breakfast Program is happy to be able to continue contributing to Ottawa's future."

The Ottawa Gala receives tremendous support from Ottawa's business community. TELUS was the Platinum sponsor of the 2007 Ottawa Gala. Since 1993, the Fund for a New Generation has raised over $450,000 for various children-at-risk initiatives.

"I'm encouraged by the continued partnership between Ottawa's young professionals and members of the business community," says Sarah Lawley, co-Chair of the Fund for a New Generation. "This year, we were excited to extend our event to include a late summer boat cruise. Both events are a perfect example of how one young generation can provide for the next. We're looking forward to even greater success in 2008!"

About OCRI
OCRI (Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation), the city's economic development corporation, is leading the way for Ottawa. OCRI is the rallying point to bring business, education and research together to create the winning economic conditions that allow Ottawa's technology companies to thrive locally and compete globally. At OCRI we promote sustainable economic development to maintain our high quality of life. For more information on OCRI visit our website at www.ocri.ca and for more information on the Ottawa Region please visit www.ottawaregion.com.

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Source: OCRI