About 100 employees of CUMIS Group Limited celebrated the business’s 25^th Apple Day by picking some 10,000 pounds of apples from the company’s orchard in Burlington. The apples are to be donated to local school nutrition programs, food banks and charitable organizations.

For the past 25 years, CUMIS has been picking apples from its 15-acre orchard every autumn on a day it has since commemorated as Apple Day. The tradition was started in 1991 by Jeff Martin, a former employee, who was present for this year’s celebration.

Joining Martin as special guests at the event were Burlington councillor Rick Craven and Meaghan Richardson of food relief organization Food for Life.

“Apple Day is one of the most cherished traditions we have at CUMIS,” said CUMIS executive vice-president Bob Hague. “It was created by an employee and has been sustained over 25 years by staff volunteers whose labour makes the donations to local community organizations possible. There are many ways that we give back to the community, but Apple Day is truly unique. After all, I don’t know too many insurance companies that have their own apple orchards!”

CUMIS has maintained its apple orchard since 1946, located right at the front of the company’s 140-acre property. It is home to some 500 apple trees of different varieties, such as Empire, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Mutsu, Red Delicious and Spy. Each year, dozens of apple trees are replanted and the trees are pruned each winter.
 
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