Empire Family of Brands Fundraising Campaign
Every Best is Personal.
From first goals to newfound confidence and lasting friendships, Special Olympics athletes across Canada are achieving incredible personal bests—and you helped them get there.
From coast to coast, you showed up. You said “YES” at checkout at participating Empire Family of Brands including: Sobeys, Safeway, Ontario Foodland, Atlantic Foodland and participating CO-OPs, IGA West, Thrifty Foods, Lawtons Drugs and Needs Convenience stores.
You helped raise over $1.7 million for Special Olympics athletes across the country.
Because of you, thousands of athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities will have access to inclusive sport, health, and leadership programs—and the chance to reach for their personal best.
And thanks to Empire Family of Brands, $500,000 in donations was matched, amplifying your impact and your generosity.
Together, we’re building healthier, more inclusive communities.
What Your Donation Supports
Amplify Your Impact
*100% of the funds raised will be donated to Special Olympics Canada, with no administrative fees deducted by Empire Company Limited. No tax receipts will be issued for donations made during this period. Empire Company Limited will match in-store donations up to a total of $500,000 from June 11 to 21, 2026.
Our 2026 Youth Athlete Ambassadors
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Alexander Cantwell I St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador I Age 9Through Special Olympics Fundamentals and youth summer soccer programming in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alexander has found joy in being active, meeting new friends, and trying new sports — while his family has watched his confidence and social development flourish. -
Gabe Hunt I Kensington, Prince Edward Island I Age 13A proud Special Olympics PEI athlete from Kensington, Gabe currently participates in bowling and has also explored gymnastics, swimming, and multisport programming — experiences that have helped him build confidence, friendships and a strong sense of belonging. -
Gage Mechefske I London, Ontario I Age 14Gage first joined Special Olympics through Active Start when he was four years old after his family heard about the inclusive sport programs through the Down syndrome community. Gage immediately loved it and continued through Fundamentals programming until he was 12 years old before eventually transitioning to 5-pin bowling.
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Madelyn Murphy I Beaverbank, Nova Scotia I Age 9Ask Madelyn Murphy about her favourite part of Special Olympics, and she’ll quickly list off a few answers: basketball, soccer, baseball, a game called “chaos” that lives up to its name — and especially the group cheer with all her friends at the end of every session. -
Maire O’Connor I Port Moody, British Columbia I Age 11For Maire O’Connor’s family, one of the most meaningful moments in Special Olympics happens before a game or activity even begins — seeing other athletes greet her with smiling faces. Maire’s family first discovered Special Olympics through another athlete at her school who was involved in the local soccer program. -
Maverick & Lawrence Von Doelln I Winnipeg, Manitoba I Age 5In the Von Doelln family, Special Olympics nights have become part of the weekly routine everyone looks forward to. For six-year-old twins Lawrence and Maverick, that means favourite games, obstacle courses, and time spent with teammates and coaches who make every session exciting.
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Max Fielden I Calgary, Alberta I Age 13For the Fieldens, inclusion in sport is not about creating separate expectations — it is about ensuring every child has the same opportunity to participate, compete and improve. Now 13 years old, Max participates in swimming, soccer, track and field, and golf — a sport that has become an especially important part of his life. -
Rhyker Evanishen-Menzies I Prince Albert, Saskatchewan I Age 10Before Rhyker ever participated in a sport with Special Olympics, his family first saw the organization in action at a local community floor ball event. Rhyker’s dad was playing on an adult team who had a friendly face off against a local Special Olympics youth team. Not long after, Rhyker joined the team himself. -
Sophia Gallant I Miramichi, New Brunswick I Age 12For Sophia’s family, Special Olympics was about far more than clearing an obstacle during programming. It was a moment that captured everything the organization had given their daughter: confidence, opportunity, community and the freedom to discover what she is capable of.
Meet Our Athlete Ambassadors & Empire Family of Brands Teammates
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Allie Price I Safeway Store Teammate I Airdrie, AlbertaAllie is one of the familiar faces helping keep her local Safeway store running — welcoming customers, working alongside teammates, and taking pride in the job she has now loved for nearly a decade. On her days off, she is often on the golf course — continuing the work that helped take her all the way to the podium at the Special Olympics World Summer Games Berlin 2023. -
Bill Smith I Sobeys Store Teammate I Cambridge, OntarioBill joined the movement in 1985 after moving into community living in Cambridge — and nearly 40 years later, Special Olympics remains one of the most important and consistent parts of his life. For Bill, sport was never only about medals or competition. It was about becoming part of something bigger than himself.
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Lisa Murphy I Lawtons Drugs Store Teammate I Truro, Nova ScotiaLisa believes partners of Special Olympics Canada, like her employer Lawtons Drugs and the broader Empire Family of Brands team, play an important role in helping more athletes access the kinds of programs and opportunities that have shaped her own life through sport. -
Sebastian Gylander I IGA West Store Teammate I British ColumbiaFor Sebastian, being part of Special Olympics has never just been about sport. It has been about confidence, belonging, and discovering what he is capable of achieving both on and off the field of play. What started as a simple introduction to sport quickly grew into something that would shape his life in meaningful ways.
Feeding Personal Bests: Health & Nutrition Education
In addition to supporting Special Olympics through funding and food, Empire Family of Brands is deeply committed to helping athletes build healthy habits for life.
Through a shared vision of wellness and inclusion, Empire Family of Brands and Special Olympics Canada have created accessible, athlete-friendly resources that promote nutrition education for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the country.
Athlete Nutrition Course
Discover the interactive Athlete Nutrition Course, available free through SOLearn—Special Olympics Canada’s learning platform.
Athletes of all ages and abilities can explore healthy eating tips at their own pace, with engaging activities and helpful visuals that make learning easy and enjoyable. It’s one more way Empire Family of Brands is helping support personal bests—on and off the field.