London, Ontario — October 20, 2025 — Nothers The Award Store, a long-time partner and proud supplier of recognition products to schools across London and area, is launching the Holiday Big Give School Challenge in support of Ark Aid Mission.
This student-led campaign invites elementary and secondary schools to rally their communities to raise funds and collect essential items for Londoners experiencing homelessness and deep poverty. Participating schools will receive a custom donation link to track contributions, with charitable receipts issued to supporters. Schools will also collect non-perishable food and winter essentials, with both funds and collected goods counting toward each school’s total impact.
The most generous school will receive media recognition, a championship trophy, and a $1,000 bursary from Nothers The Award Store — celebrating leadership, compassion, and community spirit.
“Ark Aid Mission has a huge campaign kicking off November 1 with the Holiday Big Give, so we thought, why not engage our beloved schools and students, knowing they could make a huge difference in this cause,” said Jen Harrison, Vice President of Nothers The Award Store. “We love the work of Ark Aid Mission, and we love our school communities — so let’s launch something of meaning and grow this into the largest student-led civic challenge London has ever seen, all for a great cause.”
“As the temperatures drop, the need rises,” said Sarah Campbell, Executive Director of Ark Aid Mission. “When students lead, communities follow. This challenge isn’t just about raising dollars and donations — it’s about raising hope and bringing more Londoners in from the cold.”
A special mention goes to Western University’s Purple Spur Society, the first student organization to join and help launch the challenge.
The Holiday Big Give campaign is a city-wide call to action uniting schools, No Frills stores, local churches, and businesses with a shared goal: to raise $500,000 this holiday season to help bring more Londoners in from the cold.
About Ark Aid Mission
Ark Aid Mission serves every Londoner in need — regardless of race, religion, or background — offering food, shelter, outreach, wellness programs, and housing supports. So far this year, Ark Aid has provided over 300,000 meals, 25,000 nights of safe rest, and 82 full-time residential beds nightly, serving thousands of Londoners with dignity and compassion.
About Nothers The Award Store
Since 1968, Nothers The Award Store in London, Ontario, has provided custom awards, trophies, and corporate recognition solutions. Serving businesses, schools, and sports organizations across Ontario, Nothers combines high-quality products with personalized service to celebrate achievement and inspire excellence.
Schools can register now to participate in the Holiday Big Give School Challenge and receive their custom fundraising link and toolkit - Register Here.
Together, let’s show what school spirit can do — and help change lives across our community this holiday season.
Media contacts:
Jen Harrison
Vice President, Growth & Operations
Nothers The Award Store
jen@nothers.com
www.nothers.com
Paula Simpson
Director of Advancement & Strategic Initiatives
Ark Aid Mission
paula@arkaidmission.ca | 519-667-0322 ext. 102
www.arkaidmission.ca/holidaybiggive