The Great Big Crunch Returns for 2023
The Great Big Crunch has returned to Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) schools thanks to Hamilton Tastebuds.
The initiative was formally launched on March 9, 2023 at Central Elementary School in Hamilton. City of Hamilton Ward Two Councillor Cameron Kroetsch and HWDSB Director of Education Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini were on hand to formally launch the program. A total of eight city councillors attended both HWDSB and Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board schools across the city to help bring attention to the event.
The Coalition for Healthy School Food’s website explains that The Great Big Crunch began in 2008 as a program that was started by FoodShare Toronto. It has since grown into a nationwide event that “demonstrates anti-silence in support of a universal school food program.” The program aims to create a simultaneous loud crunch at the designated time in order to call attention to its goal. The program took place between 1:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., with the official crunch taking place at 1:25 p.m. In March 2022, almost 60,000 crunches could be heard.
In Hamilton, Drummond Farms is supplying the apples for the 2023 event, with funds from FirstOntario Credit Union being used to pay for the fruit.
The Great Big Crunch is an initiative supported by the Hamilton Tastebuds Steering Committee.
A total of 67 HWDSB schools currently have student nutrition program operating as of January 2023.
Updated on Thursday, March 09, 2023.