Maple Leaf to help ‘Nourish’ Wellspring members

Dec. 1, 2009, TORONTO – Maple Leaf Foods is sponsoring the kitchen learning centre at the Toronto Wellspring facility, part of the cancer support centre's new $5 million expansion program.

Dec. 1, 2009, TORONTO – Maple Leaf Foods is sponsoring the kitchen
learning centre at the Toronto Wellspring facility, part of the cancer
support centre's new $5 million expansion program.

The state-of-the-art kitchen, which will serve as a social hub and learning centre, will be called the Maple Leaf Foods Nourishment Centre – Nourish! for short. Nourish! will also be the site of a brand new series of educational programs on food for people coping with cancer, including programs on foods that fight cancer, food safety for people undergoing cancer treatments who are more susceptible to risks, and related food preparation.

"We believe Wellspring does amazing work for people with cancer and when offered the opportunity to be part of their community, we jumped on it," said Maple Leaf president and CEO Michael H. McCain. "Food is the nourishment of life and it plays an important role in the life of someone facing cancer. We hope Nourish! will be a place where people find great learning and great eating experiences."

He made the announcement at the official community launch of the Wellspring Sunnybrook Expansion campaign.

"The tiny kitchen at our existing Wellspring facility has traditionally been the heart of the centre with a constant flow of chatter, support and baked goods," said Wellspring CEO Lynda Morrison. "Now we will have a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen where our members will have the opportunity to experience programs that will stimulate their appetites and their minds."

Wellspring at Sunnybrook provides cancer support programs to more than 2,300 people, and the centre is at capacity. The expansion will allow for the centre to triple its size and programming. It is slated to open in mid-2010.