A well-known community group is able to ensure families have food on their tables this holiday season thanks to the efforts of a Memorial professor.

Dr. Wade Locke, who teaches in the Department of Economics, today donated a cheque for $1,000 to the Community Food Sharing Association.

Dr. Locke received this year’s President’s Award for Exceptional Community Service at a ceremony in November.

The honour includes a $1,000 award which Dr. Locke donated to the association.

He said the group was an “obvious choice,” when he decided to pass the money onto a worthy organization.

Dr. Locke presented a cheque to Eg Walters, general manager of the association.

He said he wanted to try and help families who need a helping hand and “to show some Christmas concern and spirit for people who are less well off.”

He said the “good work that Mr. Walters does was an obvious choice for us. It gives us more satisfaction to do this and hopefully make some people’s Christmas a little better.”

Mr. Walters said the “generous donation” will be put to good use.

“There are a lot of people – a lot of families – out there who are going through hardships not only this time of the year but yearlong and for Wade to think of the less fortunate it is certainly going to touch a lot of families throughout our province.”

Memorial’s President’s Award for Exceptional Community Service is presented each year in recognition of faculty or staff who have demonstrated outstanding community service.