It all began 14 years ago, with a few friends sitting around wondering how they could help make their community better.
Peter Blodgett, the president of Darling Insurance and Realty, is one of the ‘Three Loonies’ who every November kick off a fund-raising campaign in Peterborough, Ont., having raised a million dollars over the years to help the hungry.
And it all began with a simple invitation to go on the radio to have a little fun.
“Bob McGillen and I, we were at a fund raiser and they offered this opportunity to be weathermen of the day at one of the local radio stations, and we thought, ‘Well, this looks like something silly to do – let’s do it!” says Blodgett. “And in the process of going on the air, it was around Christmas time, we said, ‘Let’s shout out over the radio to some of our friends and challenge them to meet $200 we put up for the Brock Mission (a men’s shelter) and a few others kicked in $400, and we ended up raising $800. So the next year we talked the radio station into doing this with a friend of ours, Bruce Fitzpatrick who is a lawyer in town, and try to raise some more money and see what happens.”
While Fitzpatrick has since moved on, the other businessman who completes the Three Loonies with Blodgett and McGillen is Robb Bennett, the general manager of Peterborough Chrysler. McGillen is also a lawyer who practices in Peterborough.
That year they raised $1,800. Then another year rolled around and $4,000 was raised – and that proved to be the true turning point, when they began raising money for Peterborough Food Share (now Kawartha Food Share).
“This thing took off,” he told
Insurance Business. “We started raising $40- $50- $60,000, and eventually $100,000 on the radio. And in the 14 years we’ve been doing it, we’ll raise over $1million this year. So it is a pretty cool thing to go from $800 to $1 million in just 14 years.”
Corus Entertainment – which owns the radio and TV stations in Peterborough – also owns Q107 in Toronto, which has the 13 Days of Christmas fundraiser. For Blodgett, it is a tribute to his hometown of Peterborough that the Three Loonies raise so much money for the local foodbank. (continued.)
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“You think about it, with three million people (in Toronto) they (Corus) raise $3 million; for 70,000 people in Peterborough, we raise over $100,000,” says Blodgett. “That’s pretty impressive. What started off as a bit of fun has now turned into an institution here.”
The popularity and success of The Three Loonies can be attributed to people seeing just how effective their donation dollars are put to work.
“For every one dollar we raise, Food Share can spend six dollars in buying power,” says Blodgett. “And it is something you can wrap your head around – that people are getting fed. And over 35 per cent of the food that is distributed by the Food Bank goes to feeding children. Thirty-five percent, believe it or not! And every single dollar that we’ve raised has not gone to administration costs. We will not allow that – it goes solely into buying food.”
Blodgett’s dedication to feeding the hungry hasn’t gone unnoticed, having been named Broker of the Year by the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario in 2012 for his community and professional contributions.
Kawartha Food Share is a central collection and distribution warehouse that partners with 37 member agency food banks, food cupboards and other food action in Peterborough city and county, helping to feed more than 7,700 a month, 40 per cent of whom are children, and almost half are boys and girls under the age of 18.
Close to 65 per cent of individuals who use food banks are rental tenants, and close to one quarter of Canadians spend 30 per cent or more of their monthly income on rent and utilities.
For Blodgett, raising money for the food bank isn’t just a good deed – it is a very personal endeavour.
“I’ve seen the other side of life, and it isn’t pretty,” he says. “I’m glad I’m in a position now to do something about it for others. As far as the residual effect of Darling Insurance being recognized for this, that’s great – but that’s not the reason we do it. I believe in philanthropy – I believe in giving back to the community.”
In the photo, from left, are The Three Loonies: Bob McGillen, broker Peter Blodgett and Robb Bennett, shown here on December 13, 2013 when they donated $100,000 that day for Kawartha Food Share in Peterborough, Ont.
