Miklos Kanalas, Fortinos: Doing Everything We Can

By Julie-Marie Innes, Communication Volunteer  |  January 22nd

They proudly describe their business as 'Your Supermarket with a heart!' and Fortinos has made it their mission to put this slogan into action, whenever possible.

"Just supporting the community is at our heart and it's our goal," says Fortinos franchisee Miklos Kanalas. This is the 5th year the Waterdown store has helped Coldest Night of the Year.

 A few years ago, one of Kanalas's employees, Dawna Ondrik, told him about the 5km walk and how it raised funds for mental health services in the local area. "I could tell how passionate she was about the event and how important it was to her," he recalls. "I thought about all the services Eagles Nest is helping with and I thought why not do everything we can to support this cause."

The store is tackling fundraising in many ways, from asking for a $2 donation from customers at checkout, to enlisting their talented bakers to create Coldest Night of the Year cupcakes and sell them two weeks prior to the February 24th event. Paper snowflakes line the Fortinos windows with the names of customers who have kindly donated. Last year, Fortinos raised over $2,000 for the event.

This year, Fortinos has taken its fundraising literally one step further. It's not only talking the talk, it's walking the walk and has put together a team of employees along with their family and friends. They'll be at Memorial Park in Waterdown for the early evening stroll. Fittingly, Dawna is team captain and Miklos has already signed up.

"A lot of small donations will add up," he says. "At the end of the day, we're helping so many people.”