Francis Dupont
Alouettes linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku, who is the spokesperson for the Purolator Tackle Hunger Program, which took place on Saturday, August 10, shares his childhood story. The 25-year-old grew up with two brothers and a sister in a single-parent household in a small apartment in Lévis, Quebec.
His mother was the only source of income for four young children… She worked as a bus driver and a tour guide.
“I have so much admiration for her; my mom made countless efforts to ensure we lacked nothing,” Cantin-Arku explained.
Every Christmas, Geoffrey’s family received help from organizations that brought toys or Christmas baskets to the family.
“We weren’t rich, but we had smiles on our faces and were happy kids,” he said. “Those Christmas baskets allowed us to eat well during the holiday season.”
The Alouettes rookie wants to get involved so he can help raise awareness and say thank you to those who once helped him.
“When I heard about the Purolator Tackle Hunger program, I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of it. I want people to be generous because many struggle to eat three meals a day,” Cantin-Arku said.
While playing with the Garneau Élans in college, his football coach Claude Juneau even helped him by providing groceries.
“He was so good to me; that kind of gesture touched me deeply,’ he added. “It wasn’t easy for my family to accept, but we had to swallow our pride and take the help we could get.”
Following a sponsorship agreement with a local market and the Élans of Cégep Garneau, the young football player received support from his local food chain.
“My family received groceries for free regularly, and that gesture will remain etched in my heart for a long time,” said the Alouettes’ first-round pick in 2024.
Cantin-Arku didn’t shout it from the rooftops, but his move to the United States played a significant role in easing his family’s financial difficulties.
“At Syracuse and Memphis, I had full scholarships,” he said. “So, I was housed and fed, which relieved some of the pressure on my mother by having one less person to feed.”
Today, the young man earns a good living and chooses to get involved in causes close to his heart.
Last Saturday, August 10, as part of the 20th edition of Purolator’s Tackle Hunger program, the Alouettes encouraged fans to bring non-perishable food items and make cash for people in need in our community. In total, 1250 pounds of food was collected. Moisson Montréal and Purolator’s generous volunteers helped collect donations.
Many fans had the opportunity to have their picture taken with the Grey Cup at the Purolator booth.
The Alouettes and Purolator have been partners for 20 years, and together they’ve donated hundreds of thousands of pounds of food to local food banks.
Did you know?
Moisson Montreal is currently receiving more than 900,000 requests for food aid each month through the organization’s network.
Donations collected during the event will support Moisson Montreal, a non-profit organization that distributes 17 million kilograms of food per year to more than 300 community organizations on the island of Montreal.
Since its inception 20 years ago as an employee-led grassroots campaign, the Purolator Tackle Hunger® program has helped deliver more than 22 million pounds of food-to-food banks across Canada.