De Beers Canada’s chief financial officer (CFO) and others are doing their part to raise money for Food First Foundation (FFF) by running the ice road to the Gahcho Kué diamond mine.
For the second time since March 11, Steve Thomas ran a 42-km marathon on one of the company’s winter roads. He was joined by his Snap Lake colleagues, Megan Rodel, superintendent of business improvement, and Marc Lincoln, senior project manager.
Each covered a full marathon distance—Rodel ran, while Lincoln rode a winterized bike. Completing the distance in stages, the three were accompanied by a safety support vehicle, which provided shelter from the extreme cold that can occur this time of year. Thomas recently completed a similar marathon run when he ran 42 km on the winter road leading to the De Beers Victor Mine in northern Ontario.
“The well-being of people living in all our communities is important and this is one way I can make a small difference,” said Thomas, an experience marathon runner. “Availability of nutritious, affordable food is a challenge in isolated NWT communities and Food First helps feed hundreds of children in need every day.”
Food First Foundation is a charitable organization supporting nutrition education programs in schools in the Northwest Territories, where De Beers operates the Snap Lake Mine and the Gahcho Kué Project.
De Beers provided a corporate donation to support the cause and is reaching out to its business partners seeking support.
“Food First Foundation is pleased with De Beers’ commitment to supporting food programs in the NWT,” said FFF director, Katie Randall. “Their commitment will enable Food First Foundation to provide even more support to NWT schools to offer nutritious food options for school-aged children. Food First Foundation believes access to healthy food options at an early age helps develop positive eating habits and supports healthy communities, and we are thankful to DeBeers for their financial assistance in achieving that goal.”
