BC Children’s Hospital Foundation
BC Children’s is the only hospital in the province devoted exclusively to the care of children. That means one million kids—including some of the sickest and most seriously injured—count on the hospital for specialized care they often can’t receive anywhere else. Last year, more than 99,000 patients visited the hospital, including its acute care centre, research institute, mental health facility and other facilities. Learn more at bcchf.ca
How we do good
Through match sponsorship we’ve donated more than $180,000 in the last year to fund transformative equipment and programs that help families and accelerate research aimed at finding the next breakthrough. We are proud to help empower BC Children’s Hospital to ensure BC’s kids receive the best health imaginable.
“The patients at BC Children’s Hospital may be small, but the challenges they face are enormous. We are so grateful to have partners like BC Dairy standing with us as we constantly move forward in our quest to tackle the toughest childhood illnesses.” – Nancy Tardioli, Associate Vice President, Corporate & Community Giving at BC Children’s Hospital Foundation
BC School Sports
BC School Sports supports around 450 member schools throughout the province, with more than 90,000 high school athletes participating in 62 provincial championships organized by 19 active sport commissions. Its mission is to foster the development of good character through positive and equitable school-based sport experiences. Learn more at bcschoolsports.ca
How we do good
We are the proud sponsor of BCSS Athlete of Month, where every month, two athletes (male and female) are awarded and celebrated. We also offer two $1,000 scholarships annually to students in BC who display community leadership through sports.
“BCSS is proud to partner with BC Dairy to invest in our student-athletes who are both champions and leaders of tomorrow by offering milk’s wholesome goodness to support their pursuit of sporting success and scholastic excellence. Milk is an essential building block in youth for growth, development and recovery.” – J. Abney, Executive Director
Canuck Place Children’s Hospice
Canuck Place provides leadership in improving pediatric palliative care regionally, nationally, and internationally through collaboration, education, and research. Their program includes pain and symptom management, medical respite, education and art, music and recreation therapy, end-of-life care, and grief and bereavement counselling. Learn more at canuckplace.org
How we do good
As the sponsor of Milk & Cookies for Canuck Place, we’ve matched $30,000 in funds raised by the wider community. Funding will support pediatric palliative care at Dave Lede House in Abbotsford, BC. We also partner with Abbotsford Canucks where a Milk & Cookies Combo can be purchased at all home games, to support the charity.
“Every donation to the Milk & Cookies Campaign brings comfort and warmth to the children at Canuck Place,” said Denise Praill, CEO of Canuck Place. “We are grateful to BC Dairy, participating businesses and schools – and British Columbians for making a difference in the lives of those facing life-threatening illnesses.” – Denise Praill, CEO of Canuck Place
Food Banks BC
Food Banks BC is the provincial association of food banks. Their membership is comprised of 106 hunger relief agencies throughout British Columbia who all work to support individuals and families who are food insecure. Learn more at foodbanksbc.com
How we do good
In summer of 2023, BC Dairy donated $100,000 to Food Banks BC to help fund the purchase of dairy products within the province. Since 2020, BC’s dairy farmers have given roughly 50,000kg of dairy products and more than $200,000 in donations to Food Banks BC.
“Over the past few years, food bank usage in BC has increased by almost 60%. Today, more people are using food banks than at any other time in their history. In this time of great need, our partnerships are critical in supporting our work; assisting 107 food banks to provide British Columbians with essential support. We are deeply grateful to BC Dairy and dairy farmers throughout the province for their incredible support and commitment to joining us in the fight against hunger.” – Dan Huang-Taylor, Executive Director
BC Agriculture in the Classroom
BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization that works with educators to bring BC agriculture and food education to K-12 students throughout the province. BC Dairy supports three programs: the BC School Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional Program, the +Milk program, and Take a Bite of BC. Together, we continue to work towards a shared goal of building positive experiences with food while supporting and showcasing local agriculture. Learn more about our involvement.
How we do good
As a result of our decade-long partnership, the School Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional Program and +Milk program now includes nearly every public school and First Nations school in the province. +Milk has provided 1.7 million servings of milk to students from kindergarten to grade five since 2013. Take a Bite of BC works with local producers and farmers to provide culinary arts programs in BC secondary schools. Each year, over 7,200 culinary students showcase their skills with BC’s dairy products. An additional 65,000 students enjoy dishes prepared by their classmates in their school’s cafeterias.
“Our partnership in agriculture and food education with BC Dairy and dairy farmers has produced impactful programs, teaching resources, and an incredible school milk program. Teachers, students, and chef instructors tell remarkable stories about the impact of sharing dairy products in the classroom. We are very proud and grateful for BC Dairy’s 30+ years of support and partnership with BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation.” – Pat Tonn, Executive Director
4-H BC
The 4-H program provides young people with an opportunity to learn how to become productive, self-assured adults who can make their community and country a good place to live. 4-H British Columbia builds awareness of agriculture, inspiring, educating and supporting youth to reach their full potential. Learn more at 4hbc.ca
How we do good
For 2024, BC Dairy is the exclusive sponsor of 4-H@Home, a new program offering short-term online projects that are accessible to youth across the province. These six-week long programs allow a more diverse group of BC’s youth to participate in 4-H activities remotely.
“Our partnership with BC Dairy plays a vital role in developing and implementing educational initiatives for 4-H youth across British Columbia. We are fortunate to work with partners like BC Dairy who recognize and support our mission to empower youth to be responsible, caring and contributing leaders that affect positive change in the world around them.” – Aleda Welch, Manager of 4-H British Columbia
Backpack Buddies
Every Friday, for over a decade, Backpack Buddies has delivered meals and snacks to thousands of hungry kids across BC. For children struggling with food insecurity, these meals are a lifeline, keeping them fed over the weekend and beyond. Backpack Buddies believes it’s possible for every child in BC to have enough food to eat. This simple principle is why they partner with schools and donors to deliver over a million meals every year. In September 2024, we successfully reached our match goal of $30,000 for Backpack Buddies’ Back-to-School campaign, with all donations directly benefiting over 6,000 children in BC. Learn more about Backpack Buddies’ work at backpackbuddies.ca.
How we do good
As representatives of BC dairy farmers, we continue to build on our legacy of making a difference in homes across the province. Nurturing the community is our passion. We want to make sure kids have access to nutritious food that keeps them happy and healthy. For us, supporting Backpack Buddies’ incredible work can have a significant impact on thousands of kids and their families.
“With inflation and rising grocery costs hitting vulnerable families the hardest, we now have nearly 2,000 kids on the waitlist for Backpack Buddies’ weekend meal program. Every donation to our Back-to-School campaign means kids who would otherwise go hungry on the weekend have access to the food they need. And with this generous commitment by BC Dairy and dairy farmers across BC, twice as many children will have the food they need to thrive and grow, putting hope back on the table for hungry kids.” – Emily-anne King, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Backpack Buddies.
Dairy Farmers of Canada Sustainability Partnerships
Through Dairy Farmers of Canada, BC’s dairy farmers are working to help dairy farms make sustainable changes. Our goal: net-zero emissions by 2050 in the field, in the barn, and through sustainability projects from organizations like Tree Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Cleanfarms. Across the country, dairy farmers are proud to be global leaders in sustainable farming. Learn more at dairyfarmersofcanada.ca/en/sustainability.
How we do good
Dairy farmers have always been stewards of the land. We support the continued sustainability efforts of BC’s dairy farmers in a number of ways including the reseeding of forage fields for waterfowl habitat, the recycling of agricultural plastics used in dairy production, and the promotion of biodiversity through tree planting on farms.