ANNUAL MILK & COOKIES CAMPAIGN FROM DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO SUPPORTS ONTARIO CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH $500,000 DONATION

For the fourth consecutive year, Dairy Farmers of Ontario donates to SickKids and other Ontario children's hospitals reaching over $2 million to date

TORONTO, Nov. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - This holiday season, in the spirit of spreading joy and support to communities across Ontario, Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) will donate $500,000 to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and other Ontario children's hospitals in Hamilton (McMaster Children's Hospitals), London (Children's Hospital) and Ottawa (CHEO). Since 2019, DFO has donated over $2 million through their Milk & Cookies holiday campaign, to support initiatives to families spending the holidays in Ontario children's hospitals.

Inspired by the magical ritual of leaving milk and cookies out for Santa, this year DFO has also created special Santa Milk-O-Grams for patients who cannot be home for the holidays. These care packages full of festive cheer include a fun activity to prepare for Santa's arrival on December 24 (Christmas Eve), including a customizable milk bottle, milk coupons, a holiday card to decorate and a plush toy.

"Through this donation to SickKids and other Ontario children's hospitals, Ontario dairy farmers are able to show how important it is to give back and nourish the communities we live and work in," said Cheryl Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Dairy Farmers of Ontario. "With our new Milk-o-Grams, we hope families who are unable to be home for the holidays can also share in the joy and tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa."

Ontarians looking to spread joy to kids and families spending the holidays in Ontario's children's hospitals can get involved by sharing a message of support on social between November 28 - December 9, using @ontariodairy and #Milk4Santa. The first 300 to share a supportive message will receive their own Santa's Milk-O-Gram kit, just in time for Santa's arrival.

"The SickKids community is appreciative of the ongoing support and partnership from Dairy Farmers of Ontario," said Adam Starkman, Vice-President, Corporate Partnerships at SickKids Foundation. "The holiday season can be an extremely trying time for families spending it in hospital, and DFOs commitment has helped us provide joy and necessary care to patients during their stay."

For more information surrounding Santa's Milk-O-Gram and how you can share your support for patients at SickKids and other Ontario children's hospitals, visit www.milk.org between November 28-December 9.

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Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) is the marketing board for the largest sector of Ontario agriculture. Our mission is to provide leadership and excellence in the production and marketing of Canadian milk for a dynamic, profitable growing dairy industry. Ontario's more than 3,400 dairy farmers, their families and employees are proud to produce high-quality milk for Canadians. For more information, visit www.milk.org.

Established in 1972, SickKids Foundation raises funds on behalf of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and is the largest charitable funder of child health research, learning and care in Canada. Philanthropy is a critical source of funding for SickKids – one of the world's foremost paediatric health-care institutions. Thanks to the generosity of the community, and despite the impacts of the global pandemic, SickKids Foundation generated more than $207 million in revenue in support of child health for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022. For more information, please visit sickkidsfoundation.com.

SOURCE Dairy Farmers of Ontario

Media Contact: Corissa Miles, Senior Account Executive, Middle Child, [email protected], 705-507-3718