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Okanagan College students fundraising for international competition

Enactus Canada first place goes to Fruit Snaps and Unusually Good Food Co. projects
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Okanagan College students from Vernon, Salmon Arm, Kelowna and Penticton launched the Unusually Good Food Co., and have been named the Enactus Canada National champions. (OC photo)

Changing the way the world look at food has churned out a national champion title for a team of students from Okanagan College (OC).

The OC students were named the 2022 Enactus National Champion by the country’s largest experiential learning platform, Enactus Canada, and a judging panel comprised of top Canadian CEOs, for their ability to enable social, environmental and economic impact through entrepreneurial action.

The Enactus team at OC has been implementing circular systems that takes surplus apples that are fit for consumption and using them to feed those in need with their projects Fruit Snaps and Unusually Good Food Co.

Fruit Snaps takes these “unusual” apples and creates nutritious apple chips that are then donated to local schools, community organizations, and developing countries.

The students behind Unusually Good Food Co. take those same “unusual” apples and create delicious apple juice allowing these keen students to pay farmers for the apples that they use, reduce food insecurity in their community, and fight climate change.

This year alone, Fruit Snaps has donated 38,000 servings of apple chips, saving more than 35,000 pounds of apples from going to waste, and diverted 70 tonnes of CO2, and Unusually Good Food Co. has generated more than $15,000 in revenue.

“Both Fruit Snaps and Unusually Good Food Co. are changing the way the world approaches food waste,” said Allyson Hewitt, president and CEO of Enactus Canada. “It’s truly inspiring to see just how much impact that Enactus Okanagan has had on their community. Congratulations and good luck at the Enactus World Cup in Puerto Rico!

Earlier this year, Enactus OC competed against 44 other post-secondary institutions in two rounds of virtual presentation-based competitions for the chance to be named one of five national finalists. All five finalist teams were flown to Toronto to compete in-person at the Enactus Final Round of Competition, proudly presented by Canadian Tire Corporation Ltd, on Sept. 30.

During the final round of competition, each of the five finalist teams had 12 minutes to showcase how their entrepreneurial projects advanced the social, economic and environmental health of communities, created new career opportunities, sparked business innovation, and changed lives.

Enactus OC will now represent Canada at the global stage at the upcoming Enactus World Cup 2022 in Puerto Rico Oct. 30 – Nov. 2, 2022.

The students are looking for help to raise funds for their journey to the international competition and are hosting a fundraiser Oct. 26 from 5-7:30 p.m. in the Kelowna campus Atrium. There will be food, live music, and beverages including their very first batch of their Unusally Good Cider. In addition, the presentation team will be presenting on the team’s national winning project at the fundraiser.

OC’s team is the first Enactus team from Western Canada to ever win the National Exposition.

“We are honored to represent Canada through Okanagan College in competition,” said Maya Samaddar, Enactus OC vice president.

As a non-profit organization, focused on creating a positive impact in the community and empowering others to do the same, Enactus OC is made up of over 70 volunteers across Okanagan College’s four campuses all of who are working on various projects with a common goal to positively impact our communities.

To help support the team in their journey to represent Canada, tickets for the fundraiser can be purchased through Eventbrite, or donations can at enactusoc.ca.

Every year, the Enactus Canada National Exposition unites thousands of the country’s brightest university and college students, academic professionals, and top Canadian CEOs to enable progress by supporting entrepreneurial action through competition, collaboration, and celebration.

READ MORE: Okanagan College waste-saving food project ends to nationals

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Annika Kirk, Ayden Clark, James Plaxton, Rebekah Dingwall, Elizabeth Hirschkorn, Jackson Price, Dr.Kyleen Myrah (faculty advisor), Devin Rubadaeu (faculty advisor), Jon Philip Talastas, Maya Samaddar, Mandi Kohout, Mackenna Lenarcic, Danielle Walker, celebrate the Enactus OC National Exhibition win. (Contributed)


Jennifer Smith

About the Author: Jennifer Smith

Vernon has always been my home, and I've been working at The Morning Star since 2004.
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