Mary’s Meals Canada’s 2nd Annual Basketball Bonanza

Around 150 spectators were treated to an action-packed basketball game between the Calgary Police Service and Calgary Firefighters Association on May 11, 2019 at Cenennial High School. There were 7 activities for children at our pre-game carnival and approximately 100 puffs of cotton candy enjoyed. Around 30 balloon animals were also given to children in attendance, thanks to Vito, our amazing volunteer balloon animal artist. Between the two teams there were 26 players, there were 24 fouls called (one player fouled out), and yes, the final score was 72-48 for the Calgary Police. But the number that matters the most is 48 - the number of children who will now eat Mary's Meals for the next school year. Those 48 children, living in some of the world's poorest communities, will be given a nutritious  meal every school day, served at school, so that they can focus on their school lessons, rather than worrying about where their next meal is coming from. This is all thanks to our amazing Calgary Police and Calgary Fire basketball teams, and of course, our other volunteers, including volunteer referees, scorekeepers, cotton candy makers, activity leaders... It's amazing what can be accomplished in a couple of hours when people come together to help children who often have no other means of finding enough to eat, or the opportunity to go to school.

Mary's Meals provides a daily meal at school to children such as Jebbeh, Marke and Maima in Liberia, whose communities were devastated by the Ebola outbreak a few years ago. Mary's Meals also feeds children like 17-year old Hastings in Malawi and children in war-torn South Sudan. It's important to read the stories of these children in order to appreciate the true impact that Mary's Meals has on their lives, and to fully appreciate the number 48 - the number of children who are going to be fed because of all of those wonderful volunteers who made our 2nd Annual Basketball Bonanza such a success.

Thank you to Calgary Police Service, Calgary Firefighters Association, our local Calgay-based Mary's Meals volunteers, and also our sponsors including SysGen Solutions Group, McLeod Law LLP, Panago, Sobeys, Landmark Theatres and LaserQuest. On behalf of the 48 children who will now enjoy a daily meal and the opportunity to go to school, we can't thank you enough!