Calgary Stampede kitchens fire up again to meet 100,000 meal goal for Alberta food banks

The Calgary Stampede's kitchens have been fired up after a quiet year to help churn out 100,000 meals for Albertans in need.

A production line involving 21 recalled staff members will spend the next five weeks making chicken dinners destined forfood banks in Calgary and other parts of the province.

It's part of a national effort by a Quebec-based charity,La Table des Chefs.

Their Solidarity Kitchens drive started early in the pandemic to take donated food from farms, suppliers and restaurants that would otherwise have gone to waste and use it to feed struggling Canadians.

The charity is working with food banks and organizations in Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto, as well as in Quebec.

"We've never done 100,000 meals. The largest event we've done was 10 years ago and maybe 17,000 people," saidDerek Dale, executive chef with the Calgary Stampede. "It's a great project."

Dale says the initiative has brought the kitchens back to life again and brought back employees who have not worked there over the past year.

"We're so excited to be able to bring back our employees. There are 21, with10 workingin the morning and 11 at night," said Dale.

The production line produces boxes full of foil trays containing nutritious and tasty dinners.

The Calgary Food Bank is the main recipient of the meals, which will be distributed across the province.

"The food bank is extremely grateful,"said Farhana Janmohamed, a board member with the Calgary Food Bank.

"These are meals for Albertans and this will go a long way in supporting our clients in the Calgary area and through our partner agencies," she said.

Janmohamed says the food bank doesn't discriminate and meals can end up on the tables ofpeople from all walks of life from all communities.

"We've seen more complexity because of the pandemic, but we're really fortunate for the generosity of Calgarians. We've seen even more donations during the pandemic. Calgarians are amazing," she said.

Over 600 tons of fresh and frozen food will be cooked during the drive nationally.

The goal of Solidarity Kitchens is to cook and deliver more than two million meals in 2021.