Toronto, ON – May 21, 2025 – Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization, has celebrated a major milestone in its partnership with ECHOage, an innovative platform that turns birthday parties into opportunities for giving back. Through ECHOage, children across Canada have raised an incredible $251,000 for Second Harvest.
These birthday funds will help rescue enough food to provide over 750,000 meals to people facing food insecurity.
ECHOage makes it easy for children to give back on their birthdays by allowing guests to contribute to a pooled fund — half of which goes to a charity of their choice and the other half to a special gift for themselves. By selecting Second Harvest as the benefitting charity, these young philanthropists are playing an important role in reducing food waste, while ensuring good food reaches those who need it most.
“We’re blown away by the generosity of these children and deeply inspired by their kindness and compassion,” said Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest. "With every birthday wish, they are helping to build a future where no good food goes to waste and no one goes hungry. We’re beyond grateful for their incredible support and the amazing impact they’ve made.”
Media opportunities are available with:
To schedule an interview, please contact: Giao Chau, Director of Communications, giaoc@secondharvest.ca, 416.408.2594
About Second Harvest
Second Harvest is Canada’s largest food rescue organization and a global thought leader on food waste and perishable food redistribution. It rescues unsold surplus food from thousands of food businesses from across the supply chain to redistribute it to non-profits in every province and territory. This prevents harmful greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere while improving access to nutrition for millions of Canadians experiencing food insecurity. Beyond food rescue and redistribution, Second Harvest is deeply involved in advocacy, research, training and education. Its groundbreaking reports, such as “The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste,” provide critical data and insights to inform public policy and educate the public on sustainable food systems.
Second Harvest is committed to driving systemic change, helping to shape policies and practices that reduce food waste and address its role in climate change, while also supporting communities by providing them with the food they need.
About ECHOage
ECHOage is an innovative online birthday party planning platform that transforms celebrations into opportunities for giving back. By streamlining digital invitations, RSVP tracking, and group gift contributions, ECHOage simplifies event planning while instilling philanthropic values in children.
Through ECHOage, guests contribute to a pooled fund, which is then split: half goes toward a meaningful gift chosen by the child, and the other half is donated to a charity of the child's choice. This reduces the clutter of unnecessary gifts while fostering a culture of generosity and social responsibility in young children.
ECHOage has garnered acclaim for its unique model that combines celebration with charitable giving, earning recognition from parents, children, charity partners, media outlets and a loyal user base. By redefining the traditional birthday party, ECHOage encourages a new generation of children to embrace the joy of giving.
For more information or to start planning your next celebration with purpose, visit www.echoage.com.
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