This season, in the spirit of spreading holiday magic and supporting our communities, Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) will make a donation of $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's cumulative donation of $3.6M supports the highest-priority needs across the hospitals and initiatives for patients and families spending the holidays in Ontario children's hospitals.
Beyond the donation and inspired by the tradition of milk & cookies for Santa, Dairy Farmers of Ontario is inviting Ontarians to rally around patients in Ontario children's hospitals. The ritual of leaving out milk and cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve sparks holiday magic and joy. However, for children spending the holidays in hospitals, they worry that Santa won't know where to find them. So, to let these kids know we are all thinking of them, DFO's annual Milk & Cookies campaign offers a platform for everybody to join in to help ensure these children feel holiday magic and care, no matter where they are. DFO has created a new Magic Milk Glass - a special glass that magically reveals a message for Santa, ensuring he includes Ontario children's hospitals in his Christmas Eve journey with the magic of Milk. Ontarians are invited to show their support from November 27 - December 14 by leaving a holiday message of encouragement @ontariodairy's Magic Milk Glass post on Instagram or Facebook. Participants will also have the chance to win a Magic Milk Glass of their own.
In addition to the Magic Milk Glass initiative on social channels, Ontarians are invited to take part in spreading holiday magic by visiting DFO's Magic Milk Truck. The truck will first make a special stop at SickKids and then continue to The Well in Toronto on December 12th from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM and CF Shops at Don Mills on December 13th from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM where visitors can enjoy complimentary milk and cookies, festive activities and meaningful ways to show support for kids and families spending the holidays in Ontario children's hospitals.
"Dairy Farmers of Ontario is committed to nourishing Ontario communities and showing children and their families spending the holidays in the hospital that we care," says Cheryl Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Dairy Farmers of Ontario. "We are inviting Ontarians to join us in spreading holiday magic, helping ensure these kids feel holiday magic and joy, no matter where they are."