Montreal, May 12, 2017 – Jita kyoei = mutual welfare and benefit. Helping others is one of the fundamental values of judo, which is why Judo Canada will take advantage of the upcoming Canadian Judo Championships presented by biosports.team, being held in Calgary for the second consecutive year, to give back to a Calgary charity.

From May 25 to 28, a booth will be set up at the entrance to the Olympic Oval so that those attending the largest national tournament of the year can donate food or money to the Calgary Food Bank.

In order to encourage judo fans to contribute to the charitable organization, Judo Canada has provided 300 posters from the Rio Olympic Games, autographed by Antoine Valois-Fortier, bronze medallist at the London Olympics, and Priscilla Gagné, Paralympic athlete, both of whom will make appearances at the Oval. Attendees who make a monetary donation will receive one of the signed posters.

“It makes us very happy to be able to give back to the community. Judo has given us a lot and we want to pay it forward by exemplifying one of our core values: jita kyoei,” explained Nicolas Gill, Chief Executive Officer of Judo Canada.

Last year, in addition to donations of food, Judo Canada made a monetary donation of $2,500 to the Calgary Food Bank when the 2016 Canadian Championships wrapped up. The money ended up helping people who were affected by the tragic fires in Fort McMurray.

This will be the first time that donors receive a gift in return for their generosity. “Last year we asked spectators to bring food donations but this year we wanted to acknowledge the gesture by giving them something tangible, such as the posters from the Rio Olympics. We hope it will encourage them to give,” added Gill.

The Calgary Food Bank is thrilled with Judo Canada’s initiative. “We’re not funded by the government so it’s imperative that we receive help from organizations like the Canadian Judo Championships presented by biosports.team. We truly appreciate Judo Canada’s support,” stated Shawna Ogston, Communications and Media Relations Coordinator for the Calgary Food Bank.

The food bank, which was established in 1982, is a non-profit charity dedicated to distributing food to those in need. It relies solely on the generous support of Calgarians. Ogston believes that in addition to providing direct assistance to people in need, Judo Canada’s gesture will increase the food bank’s visibility, which will greatly benefit the charity.

“People will definitely be more aware of us if they see us at the Canadian Judo Championships presented by biosports.team. It’s a major event and it’s fantastic that we’ll be there,” she said.

Ogston added that, like many Calgarians, she is very much looking forward to watching the action on the tatamis at the Olympic Oval. “I believe that hosting this event for two years in a row has changed the way Calgarians view judo. The sport has become much more popular. I look forward to seeing what this year’s edition has in store.”

For more information on the Calgary Food Bank: http://www.calgaryfoodbank.com/about/

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Information :
Patrick Esparbès
Chief Operating Officer
(514) 668-6279
p.esparbes@judocanada.org