GCWCC 2022 Breakfast
For Wendy Trudel, who works at Wing Cleaning, the ample breakfast provided at the annual Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign breakfast on November 3 was sufficient to keep her going, as she said, for the rest of the day.
“It was yummy,” Ms. Trudel said while sitting with numerous other diners at one of the long tables set up in Building 129- the TEME heavy equipment garage.
The GCWCC is the largest and most generous charitable campaign in Canada, notes the Government of Canada website. Every year, federal public servants and retirees raise awareness and funds to help the people and communities who need it most.
“Whether it is a friend, a neighbour or a community foodbank, your donation makes a difference,” says the online information.
“Caring for others is what we do as public servants and we are very grateful for your engagement in this year’s GCWCC campaign, one that embraces our hybrid reality.”
Ms. Trudel was one of 550-600 military and civilian personnel all of whom paid five dollars for a plate of freshly made pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, hash brown potatoes with beverages of Tim Horton’s coffee, tea, and small cartons of juices.
The food was prepared by Wing Food Services.
Lieutenant Matthew Jenkins, OPI for the breakfast, noted that all the donations from the breakfast will go to the United Way as part of the GCWCC.
It took about two months to organize the breakfast, he added, while acknowledging the donations from different suppliers, including Brad’s Wholesalers, Cisco, Costco, Whole Foods, Harvest Bakery, among other companies.
“For five dollars, you can’t beat a full breakfast,” Lt Jenkins said.
Master Warrant John Donahue, Deputy Wing Food Services Officer, commented that the personnel serving up the heaps of hot food were all volunteers.
“There’s another team at the kitchen preparing the food and then its transported in insulated hotboxes here,” he said while standing off to the side of the serving tables.
They began cooking the food at 5:30 that morning, MW Donahue said.
“The organizers have put together a nice function,” he said.
“I’d like to thank all the servers and the team who made this happen. I hope it’s quite a success for the United Way.”
Meanwhile, Luis Kiss, a sponsor executive with the United Way and a former member of the CAF, thanked 17 Wing for its effort and time in holding the fundraising breakfast.
“It’s a great success for a great cause,” he said.
Tracy Wikstrom and Denise Wolf, both members of the 17 Wing cleaning department management team, had just finished eating their breakfast when they spoke to a reporter.
“Today is an opportunity to support a good cause and to get together with other personnel on the base,” Ms. Wikstrom said.
“It’s an opportunity to donate (to the GCWCC) when we might not have the opportunity to do so.”
Added Ms. Wolf, “I really enjoyed being able to contribute to a great cause. It was very well organized and the food and the company were good.”