CFKA announces 20th anniversary Zal and Rose Breakfast fundraiser

The Community Foundation for Kingston & Area (CFKA) has announced the 20th anniversary of the Zal and Rose Breakfast fundraiser in support of The Food Sharing Project, which provides over 10,000 healthy meals each week to students in 88 schools across KFL&A.

Organizers explain that the Zal and Rose Breakfast Fund is in memory of Zal Yanovsky and Rose Richardson and supports school breakfast programs for children in Kingston and area. Zal Yanovsky and Rose Richardson were two of Kingston's best-known and beloved citizens. In a release from CFKA they stated "Zal was larger than life, Rose was his anchor. Together they committed themselves to making Kingston a vibrant place to live. They generously donated their time, talent and energies to giving back to their community."

After Zal Yanovsky died suddenly in 2002, a group of friends, colleagues and loyal patrons of Chez Piggy and Pan Chancho launched the "Zal School Breakfast Fund", an endowment fund with the Community Foundation of Kingston in 2004. After Rose Richardson passed in 2005, the Fund was renamed in her memory too. Each year, the restaurants host a breakfast fundraiser to support the Fund, and Zal's daughter, Zoe, continues to carry on the tradition annually each December.

The breakfast is a collective effort, staff donate their time, Chez Piggy and Pan Chancho donate all of the food, and suppliers often contribute food to the cause as well. To date, the Fund has granted $245,444 to The Food Sharing Project, and the legacy of Zal and Rose lives on by helping to feed thousands of children each year.

After four years of absence, Chez Piggy will provide a dine-in option for guests. "We're so excited to welcome new guests and old friends back to Chez Piggy by offering a sit-down dine-in breakfast this year," says Zoe Yanovsky. Dates for this year's breakfast fundraisers are: 

- Tuesday, December 12th, 2023 from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. at Chez Piggy (dine-in only) (call 613-549-7673 to reserve breakfast)
- Wednesday, December 13th, 2023 from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. at Pan Chancho (take-out only) (call 613-544-7790 to reserve breakfast)

In the release, CFKA says "The Zal and Rose Yanovsky Breakfast Fund is a testament to the power of community and the enduring legacy of a couple who believed in giving back. For Rose and Zal, food was everything, and they found a meaningful way to share their love for food with the children of Kingston."

"The impact of the funds raised through this rich tradition cannot be understated," says FSP Chair, Brenda Moore. "We can feed a child a healthy breakfast at school for $2 a day. The Zal and Rose School Breakfast endowment mean that we as an organization can rely on funds every year, to feed thousands of students in our school. We are so grateful."

With files by CFRA's Connor Ray