All it took was a few minutes to set up a page and write a message before donations started flooding in for North Toronto’s food drive for the Daily Bread Food Bank.

“When the COVID-19 crisis hit and the sheer scale of the coming economic hardships were becoming clear, we knew we had to act,” explains President Claudio Tarulli. “Food banks in Canada need an incredible $150 million to stock up for the next 90 days so they can serve our most vulnerable families hit hard by this crisis.”

North Toronto is a GTHL Club that’s familiar with giving back, regardless of the current world climate. Last December, the Club held a similar food drive which brought in over 370 pounds worth of food for families in need. Earlier this month, General Manager Rich Brewda spearheaded the Green Shirt Day Initiative to raise awareness for organ donation.

“At North Toronto, we are always looking for ways to leverage the tremendous caring and generosity that it is a hallmark of our midtown hockey community,” said Tarulli. “The goal is to reach beyond the arenas and the games to be a positive force for good in our world.”

Tarulli encourages other Clubs around the GTHL to follow suit, explaining that many charities offer opportunities to set up individual online donation pages. North Toronto surpassed their donation goal within 48 hours of launching the campaign.