Over 20 years, over 20 million pounds of food donated.
To say the Purolator Tackle Hunger campaign has been successful would be a grotesque understatement. CFL fans have been remarkably generous over the years, helping families put something extra, or just something on the table.
A major part of the success of the program was its spokesperson, former Toronto Argonauts offensive lineman and broadcaster Chris Schultz.
The big man with the bigger heart passed away in March 2021 when that large heart of his failed him. His contributions to the sport are missed, as is his time spent talking about a program that was exceptionally near and dear to him.
“Chris was a very private person, but he had an incredibly large heart and was one of the most compassionate people I’ve ever known,” his sister Monica Schultz told Argonauts.ca from her home in Oregon. “I’m not saying that because he’s my brother, I’m just saying that as fact. I’m not surprised at all that he found himself aligned with an organization such as Purolator Tackle Hunger because I know it spoke to his character and his belief in giving back.”
The former Argo was an anomaly. He didn’t like public speaking but became a broadcaster. He generally kept to himself, but loved helping people less fortunate than he was, even if they were total strangers.
His sister says that wasn’t something that came to Chris later in life.
“That was always something from the time when he was young, he was always the guy who helped everybody else out and did it because he wanted to, not because he was expecting something out of it. He never did something with an expectation of getting something in return.”
It was an honour to say a few words about my great friend Chris Schultz as he was inducted into the media wing of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Here are his siblings, Mark and Monica (whose speech was far better than mine) holding Chris’ award. We miss you Big Man. #CFL pic.twitter.com/Dojgt2bXio
— x-Mike Hogan (@MikeHoganArgos) November 19, 2023
On Saturday afternoon the Argos will holding their Purolator Hunger Day in what has turned out to be a big day off the field, matched by an equally important game on it. Proceeds from the day will go to the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto.
A cheque will be presented during one of the timeouts and Chris’ brother Mark and his family will be there to celebrate the moment. He has given thought as to why the campaign meant so much to Chris and has come up with a theory.
“Our father was a child of World War II,” explained Mark. “Essentially, he was the man of his house by the time he was 12 years of age because his older brother and his father got conscripted by the German army around 1942. My father ended up taking care of his mother and his younger brother. At that time there was obviously a food shortage, and my father did what he had to do to keep his family fed. I know my dad did steal food. Once he established himself in this country, one of the proudest things that he kept repeating was that we were well fed. One thing my father never scrimped on was feeding his family.
“I’m sure that part of that rubbed off on Chris in terms of the importance of eating well,” continued Mark. “And probably Chris was introduced to people who weren’t quite as lucky as my family was, or quite as focused as my father was, that it just carried on from there. To me, that’s the one big influence I can think of that would make sense.”
Wherever his passion for the program originated, his enthusiasm was obvious.
Rod Smith moderated the CFL on TSN panel that Chris was a part of for many years. He told Argonauts.ca that his long-time colleague remains synonymous with the cause.
“The Big Man had a big heart, and he loved the cause. He loved to help out. Every time since (his passing) during a broadcast when we promote Purolator Tackle Hunger, I can’t help but think of him surrounded by boxes of food that people had kindly donated. He really embraced it, helping other people in need.
“He was proud of it,” Smith continued. “For someone who was so private, I think he really enjoyed the publicity that Purolator got and that he was a part of in helping others. With Chris, you normally just talked about football, but he liked to talk about this as well.”
Chris passed three-and-a-half years ago, but he is certainly not out of mind. His sister wants to make sure that his memory is not forgotten, and this program is a big part of honouring his legacy.
“He’s more than a name, more than a football player, more than a broadcaster,” said Monica Schultz. “He was an incredible human being, and Purolator Tackle Hunger is a reflection of that part of him. Chris was a very complex human being. His athletic legacy has been cemented, his broadcasting career has been cemented, and with what Purolator tackle Hunger is continuing to do, we’re now getting his heart cemented.”
This Saturday the Argos will hold their Purolator Tackle Hunger Game at BMO Field. You can donate non-perishable food items, which will be collected outside each gate. You’ll also be able to make a donation in cash or via credit card.