Edo Japan Holiday Campaign Fuels Canadian Food Banks

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Feb. 8, 2016) - Alberta-based Edo Japan (Edo), known for its hot, fast and delicious Teppan-style meals, got busy feeding more than just hungry customers during the final months of 2015. As part of its 'Simply Better' holiday giving campaign, Edo restaurants across the country raised $74,753.94 for local food banks. The Calgary Food Bank's Weekends and More (WAM) program, a collaborative hunger-prevention program between the Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Food Bank aimed at helping children get the healthy, nutritious food they need to stay healthy and learning, will receive $19,797 of Edo's overall food bank contribution. Edo will present the Calgary Food Bank (5000 11 St. SE) with a cheque in this amount on Thursday, February 11 at 10 a.m.

With a strong focus on community giving, Edo was proud to mark the sixth consecutive year of its ongoing partnership with Canada's food banks. Edo demonstrated its continued commitment to making the holidays 'Simply Better' for everyone with the second year of its annual fundraising program, which directs 25 cents from every spring roll purchased at Edo resturants to local food banks. The food banks, in turn, are able to distribute four dollars' worth of food for every dollar donated. As in previous years, Edo's final food bank contribution surpassed its 2015 fundraising goal of $50,000.

"Edo Japan is proud to support the significant efforts of local food banks across the country," said President and CEO, Tom Donaldson. "The combined efforts of our franchisees and customers during the holiday season are what allow us to make a real difference in the lives of Canadian families. We believe that everyone deserves to experience 'Simply Better' moments in life, and we are so pleased to be able to partner with organizations like Canada's food banks to offer a sense of hope to those in need."

Since the inception of its partnership with Canadian food banks in 2010, Edo has raised more than $332,000 for local food banks in the cities where it operates. In addition to the money raised during its holiday campaign, Edo supports local food banks with donations collected during dry runs for the openings of new stores. Once a year, Edo staff also spend a day volunteering at the Calgary food bank where they present an annual donation of $25,000 from the home office.

"Local food banks support close to 850,000 Canadians each month," said James McAra, Calgary Food Bank CEO. "Contributions from community partners like Edo Japan are tremendously important, especially as we see increased need due to the current economic climate. The ongoing generosity we have seen from the likes of these supporters continues to make an incredible difference in the lives of many Calgarians and for that we are extremely grateful."

To keep up-to-date with all of Edo's initiatives, follow them on Twitter at @edo_japan and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/edojapan.

About Edo Japan

Established in 1979 in Calgary, Alberta, Edo Japan was designed to bring the freshness of hot Japanese Teppan-style cooking to suburban shopping centres and food courts across Canada. Offering the highest quality, freshly prepared food in the quick service restaurant industry, Edo Japan has quickly become a popular alternative with more than 114 locations across Canada, serving more than eight million meals annually. For more information please visit www.edojapan.com.