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100+ Men Who Give a Damn celebrate 10th year of supporting York Region charities with $15,000 donation to King Township Food Bank

October 22, 2026   ·   0 Comments

The Newmarket/Aurora chapter of 100+ Men Who Give a Damn returned to where it all began—at a pub full of benefactors—at its most recent meeting..

In addition to supporting “one charity at a time,” as per their motto, the esteemed league of generous gentlemen and ladies listened to keynote addresses from 360 Kids, King Township Food Bank, and Blue Door Shelter at the Hungry Brew Hops in downtown Newmarket.

After the representatives delivered the five-minute keynotes, the York Region-based benevolent organization awarded $15,000 to the King Township Food Bank as well as $1,500 each to Blue Door Shelter and 360 Kids

President Mike Smith welcomed the assembly to the popular Main Street pub and referenced the 10th anniversary of the club’s formation at Aw, Shucks in Aurora in 2016. He also acknowledged a dozen first-time attendees at the Hungry Brew Hops and the ten original members present who spearheaded the organization.

The bar was abuzz with positive energy as each guest speaker hit centre stage to make their pitches to the club, which has grown to 188 members under Smith’s leadership.

Geoff Simpson, President of the King Township Food Bank, personalized the crisis of food insecurity:  “All the people we serve are trying their best and we’re trying our best to serve their needs. One out of four being served by the Food Bank are kids and teenagers. One out of five are seniors. Last year, we moved into our permanent centre in Schomberg and we’ve developed better methods of service.  Today, every household in need fills out a shopping list for us. The financial donations we receive help us fill gaps in the centre’s inventory of food. The biggest gaps we have are frozen proteins, milk, eggs, and cheese. $10,000 buys fresh food and proteins. The donations aren’t used to pay salaries—we’re all volunteers. It’s all about providing food that people actually asked for.  We’re building a Food Bank that asks ‘What do you need?’ as opposed to giving items of food that might not be needed. Our root vegetables are donated by a farmer in the Holland Marsh which helps us provide food three times a month to 160 families and 400 individuals. Each has three days per month during which they can visit us at the Centre.”

After his organization was presented with a $15,000 cheque by President Mike Smith, Simpson explained the most satisfying aspects of the donation and working in a local Food Bank: “It’s really going to help stock our fresh and frozen foods. I’ve done a lot of volunteering over the years, but the Food Bank is a different kind of volunteer work since you’re helping people in need directly. We have people living in basements—in tough circumstances—and they’re really struggling. Helping 160 families and 400 individuals make ends meet is really satisfying.”

The next quarterly meeting of the Newmarket-Aurora chapter of “100⁺ Men Who Give a Damn” will be on Thursday, December 3 at Newmarket Hyundai at 7 p.m.

By Jim Stewart
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

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