Local sports helping Root Cellar fill food inventory

By JAMES TUBB on February 4, 2022.

The Root Cellar food and wellness hub is looking for emergency food donations, and two local hockey teams are doing their part to help.

Both the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers and HJHL’s Medicine Hat Cubs are partnering up with the Big Brothers and Sisters of Medicine Hat and are doing separate cereal drives at their games this weekend to go toward the Root Cellar.

Melissa Mullis, marketing and events manager for the Root Cellar, said they are excited the community stepped up and heard the call for help

“They are coming together in these unique ways to raise funds and collect food for our organization to be able to feed our families,” Mullis said.

The Root Cellar made a call to the community on Jan. 25 for emergency food donations as the number of households accessing their emergency food pantry has increased by 87.5 per cent.

Big Brothers and Sisters and Mullins picked up the call with a goal of 3,000 pounds of cereal. Mullis said she thinks they are well on their way to reaching that.

The Tigers will be collecting cereal at their 7 p.m. game Saturday night against the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Across town, the Cubs are offering half-price admission to anyone that brings a box of cereal when they take on the High River Flyers at 8:15 p.m. at the Kinplex.

Besides cereal, the Root Cellar is looking for whatever people can donate such as food donations with a list of needs on their website.