Tackling Hunger Off the Field: REDBLACKS and Purolator Make a Major Impact in 2025

This season, the Ottawa REDBLACKS were proud to continue our long-standing partnership with Purolator in support of the Purolator Tackle Hunger® Program—an initiative that has been addressing food insecurity in communities across Canada for more than two decades. This year marked the 11th year of collaboration between the REDBLACKS and Purolator, and together, we made a significant impact across the Ottawa region.

“Every year, we ask our CFL partners to go the extra mile for members of their community who are in need, and every year they deliver,” said Luigi Marrongelli, Unit Manager, Ottawa, and Purolator Tackle Hunger champion. “We’re thankful to the REDBLACKS organization, their fans and the broader community for the incredible support they showed for this year’s Purolator Tackle Hunger campaign, raising vital donations for the Ottawa Food Bank.”

Throughout the 2025 season, several key initiatives helped drive awareness and contributions to the program. In August, the team partnered with the National Capital Amateur Football Association (NCAFA) for their annual flag and tackle football tournament at TD Place, engaging young athletes and their families in the fight against hunger.

In recognition of Hunger Action Month, the Grey Cup made a special appearance at TD Place on September 5, helping to spotlight the issue and inspire fans to give back. Thanks to the generosity of REDBLACKS fans and community partners, this campaign alone generated more than 13,000 pounds of food donations.

Later in the month, the REDBLACKS teamed up with No Frills to encourage food donations at three Ottawa locations, culminating in the Stuff the Truck event on September 27, which brought the community together for a final push of the campaign.

“Thank you! Your donations to the Ottawa Food Bank have a profound impact – especially now, as more than 1 in 4 households in Ottawa struggle to afford enough to eat,” said Jessica Rebson, Manager, Community Engagement and Partnerships with the Ottawa Food Bank. “With your support, nearly 100 food programs across the city are providing healthy and nutritious food to families and individuals facing impossible choices between rent, groceries, and other essentials. These vital food programs help people stretch their budgets and maintain stability in their lives. When people have access to good food, our whole community thrives. On behalf of everyone who turns to a food bank in Ottawa, thank you for your generosity and unwavering support.”

Collectively, through the generosity of our fans, partners, and community supporters, the 2025 Purolator Tackle Hunger campaign in Ottawa raised an outstanding 33,979 lbs of food—more than double our original goal and over 6,000 lbs more than last season’s total.

“The Purolator Tackle Hunger program is a staple of the CFL season, and it’s important that our organization continues to do its part in supporting this great initiative and the Ottawa Food Bank,” said Adrian Sciarra, President of the Ottawa REDBLACKS. “We want to thank our fans, Purolator, No Frills and all of our partners for their commitment to helping fight food insecurity in our community.”

This achievement would not have been possible without the commitment and support of Purolator, the Ottawa Food Bank, and the incredible Ottawa REDBLACKS fans who rallied together to make a difference. Together, we continue to tackle hunger—one yard, one meal, and one community at a time.