Safeway in Abbotsford is among the locations in western Canada participating in a fundraiser for Special Olympics.
The campaign, now underway and running until Nov. 1, invites shoppers to make a $2 donation at any Safeway store and, in return, receive five Air Miles reward miles.
This year’s campaign has an emphasis on nourishing champions and supporting Special Olympics athletes, coaches, and families in their pursuit of proper nutrition in order to perform their best.
Among those participating in the recent kickoff event at the Abbotsford Safeway were local
athletes Mike Palitti and Austin Johnston, who earned medals in athletics and 10-pin bowling, respectively, at the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Palitti is also the 2015 winner of the SOBC Athletic Achievement Award.
They were joined by local floor hockey players Derek Santema, Brandon MacArthur, and Jamie Taylor, who competed in the 2015 Special Olympics BC Winter Games in Kamloops and brought home a bronze medal.
Also at the event was Todd Moore, a veteran powerlifter who medalled in the 2014 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games and numerous competitions.
Their fellow athlete Jamie Robinson and her mother Kathie, an Abbotsford Safeway employee, were also part of the celebration.
“Special Olympics has positively impacted Jamie’s life and helped her create a huge network of friends,” Kathie said.
“It has helped her confidence. And it has opened her eyes to different sports that we would never have introduced her to because we don’t participate in them.”
The Abbotsford Safeway is located at 32500 South Fraser Way.