NEWS RELEASE
UNITED WAY
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United Way Waterloo Region Communities (WRC) has wrapped up a deliciously successful inaugural Novemburger campaign with major community impact being the ‘special sauce.'
Throughout the month of November, participating restaurants and food lovers united to celebrate burgers for a cause, with $2 from each burger sold being invested into our community through the United Way’s network that supports 80+ charities. With additional sponsorship income, United Way WRC’s inaugural Novemburger campaign has raised a total of $11,436 to fund local charities and social service programs addressing issues such as housing, food insecurity, mental health supports, and assisting vulnerable children, youth, families and seniors.
“I am almost speechless about the scale of this, our Novemburger,” says United Way Novemburger lead, Jill Lawrie. “When I first heard about the idea from our counterparts in Thunder Bay, I knew our community would love it, but the scale of engagement has blown me away! Having the support of the KW Titans, 91.5 The Beat, and 107.5 Dave FM really helped us amplify the message and impact.”
This year’s Novemburger campaign featured local 13 eateries, each crafting a unique burger creation to sell throughout the month. With the close of the campaign, United Way WRC will now present special awards to the top performing restaurants, rewarding their creativity, tastiness, and overall popularity.
The award for Top Novemburger of the Year was selected by a panel of ambassadors tasked with sampling Platinum and Gold Novemburger entries. Ambassadors evaluated each burger based on its presentation, taste, originality, and overall execution.
Imperial Market & Eatery came out on top, making their Indian Spiced Burger the winner.
The award for Most Novemburgers Sold was awarded to Brown’s Social House, which sold a total of 518.
Finally, throughout the month, all diners were invited to vote for their favourite burger, with the top three burgers receiving a People’s Choice award. The 2024 People’s Choice Novemburger award recipients were:
- 1st Place: State & Main – Jalapeno Popper Burger
- 2nd Place: Tony’s Family Diner – Opa Burger
- 3rd Place: Mel’s Diner – Apple Jalapeno Burger
Waterloo Region wasn’t the only community celebrating Novemburger this year. Nine additional United Way charities across Canada held their own Novemburger campaigns, under the guidance of United Way of Thunder Bay, who founded the initiative in 2018.
The money raised from Waterloo Region’s inaugural 2024 Novemburger will go to the United Way’s Community Impact Fund, which supports the most critical needs of our community by allocating each dollar to the organizations capable of making a substantial impact, maximizing the efficiency of each donation.
"Novemburger is about more than eating delicious burgers – it’s about building a stronger community and supporting those in need,” said United Way Waterloo Region Communities CEO, Joan Fisk. “This campaign is an fun opportunity for all of us to come together and make a meaningful impact while having a delicious meal at a local restaurant. As Novemburger grows year after year, so does our ability to improve the lives of local individuals and families. The incredible enthusiasm we saw from our community during this campaign is a powerful reminder that ‘United is the Way’ to a stronger community.”
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