TP the Town scored a 90,000 roll donation today, one day before the toilet paper drive.
The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce’s Prodigy Group, organizes the third annual fundraiser for the Mustard Seed Street Church where members of the public purchase and donate discounted toilet paper.
TP the Town came from Ontario with Shaun Cerisano, co-founder of TP the Town and chair of The Prodigy Group
His friend Morgan Pierce went back to the food bank of his childhood, the foodbank his mother used to feed him and his little sister. Pierce sought advice from clients there, asking what they would want if he could give a year’s supply of one item.
Toilet paper was the overwhelming response.
“Often they have to choose between food and toilet paper and they’re always going to choose e food,” Pierce said.
The duo started the TP the Town in Kingston five years ago. When Cerisano moved to Victoria from the east coast he brought the idea with him.
“When I came on board here about three years ago I was recruited to be project lead (for The Prodigy Group),” Cerisano said. “I had this event in my back pocket. I pitched it and they loved it.”
Between Kingston and Victoria, they figure theyv’e gathered 1 million rolls between them, plus see the idea spread across the country. “We love that we want people to copy us and do it in other communities,” Cerisano said.
A key sponsor the past two years, Kruger Products donated 90,000 rolls Friday morning to kick off the campaign.
“We’re lucky that in previous years we’ve averaged a little over 30,000 rolls a year,” Cerisano said. They’ve raised about 65,000 over the last two years. This year they expect to reach 125,000 this year.
Mustard Seed expects if they reach that total it could last the year.
The event runs Saturday, Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at participating Save-On Foods and Country Grocer locations.
Locations include:
• Country Grocer - Royal Oak, 4420 West Saanich Road
• Save On Foods - Saanich (Uptown), 3510 Blanshard Street
• Save On Foods - Fort and Foul Bay, 1950 Foul Bay Road
• Save On Foods - Westside Village, 172 Wilson Street
• Country Grocer - Esquimalt, 1153 Esquimalt Road
All the sponsors are key, including the Chamber’s Prodigy Group, Save-On Foods, Country Grocer, Kruger Products, Hendra Moving and Storage, HeartPress PR and Used.ca.
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