Calgary Food Bank: Be a Fan, Bring a Can to Showcase Celebrity Chili Cookoff

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Aug. 13, 2009) - Homes by Avi and the Calgary Stampeders are proud to support the Calgary Food Bank through the 19th annual "Be a Fan, Bring a Can" food drive.

The drive kicks off Sunday, August 16 with the first of three Chili Cookoffs hosted by Homes by Avi. Local celebrities will be competing against a Calgary Stampeder, the Stampeders Outriders and Stampeders Broadcast Team as all serve up their own, home-made chili recipes. A $2 donation or non-perishable food item gets you a sample and a vote for your favourite chili recipe, all proceeds to benefit the Calgary Food Bank. The winning chili recipe will be served at the "Labour Day Classic" game between the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos on Monday, September 7th.

/T/

Chili Cookoffs will be held at the following times and locations:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date Time Location Stamps Celebrity
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 16 1pm - 3pm Silverado - Stampeder - Shelly Youngblood &
180 Silverado Rob Coté Easy Cook- Pierre
Dr. SW Lamielle
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 23 1pm - 3pm Sage Hill- 100 Peni Hufnagel QR 77 Broadcast Team
Sage Valley Dr Scott Coe & Mark Stevens
NW
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 30 1pm - 3pm Walden - 176 Outriders Global TV Morning Show
Walden Drive Cheerleaders Bruce McAllister &
SE Angela Kokott
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

/T/

The "Be a Fan, Bring a Can" Chili Cookoff - Farmer's Market Edition will be held at the Calgary Farmers' Market showcasing local chefs homemade chili recipes August 28 through 30 between 11am and 1pm. A donation of $2 or a non-perishable food item will allow visitors to sample their favourite chef's recipe. In addition, Southcentre Mall is supporting the "Be a Fan, Bring a Can" campaign by hosting a "Stock the Shelves" event from August 21-27 where a $2 donation purchases one of the building blocks necessary to any good chili; a can of tomatoes or beans to help stock the Food Bank's shelves.

The "Be a Fan, Bring a Can" campaign is spearheaded by Stampeder coaches and players' wives/girlfriends, with various fundraising efforts culminating at the "Labour Day Classic" on Monday September 7. Volunteers will be at all of the entrance gates to McMahon Stadium collecting non-perishable food items and cash donations. In 2008, the "Be a Fan, Bring a Can" campaign raised an impressive $72,524 in cash and food donations raising the 18 year total to over $425,373 in cash and food donations.

Help Homes by Avi make this year's "Be a Fan, Bring A Can" the most successful ever! For more information on show home locations and how you can participate in this food drive visit www.homesbyavi.com or www.calgaryfoodbank.com.

This release is transmitted courtesy of Marketwire