TSX: MFI

TORONTO, Dec. 22, 2011 /CNW/ - Maple Leaf Foods is helping Second Harvest feed more than 2,300 hungry people this holiday season by donating 680 turkeys to their 9^th annual Turkey Drive.  Second Harvest is the largest food rescue program in Canada.

"When we heard about the emergency appeal, we mobilized immediately", said Iain Stewart, Senior Vice President, Maple Leaf Foods.  "We are very grateful to support Second Harvest reach hungry people and families and help them experience the spirit of celebration that the season should bring."

"We were thrilled to receive the call from Maple Leaf Foods," said Second Harvest's Executive Director, Jo-Anne Sobie. "You could feel the morale in the office skyrocket on the heels of this wonderful news. It gave us the boost we needed to keep reaching for our goal of 9,000 turkeys."

Second Harvest will distribute turkeys to recipient community agencies to feed thousands of people in need this holiday season.  The turkeys will be given to families to take home or prepared at community-based meal programs.  Financial donations can still be made online by visiting secondharvest.ca.

About Maple Leaf Foods
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is a leading food processing company, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The Company employs approximately 21,000 people at its operations across Canada and in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Asia. The Company had sales of $5.0 billion in 2010.