A SWEET FUNDRAISING COLLABORATION FOR LOCAL GROUPS AND BEE RESEARCH

A SWEET FUNDRAISING COLLABORATION FOR LOCAL GROUPS AND BEE RESEARCH

CRESTON – With World Bee Day and Day of the Honey Bee fast approaching on May 20, two Kootenay businesses, Pealow’s Your Independent Grocer and Honey Bee Zen, have launched a bold fundraising collaboration to help local communities and bee research.

The two companies have joined forces to create a specially-labelled 500g jar of pure Canadian wildflower honey. Partial proceeds from each jar sold will be donated by each company to programs they support. Pealows’ will use proceeds  to fund charitable programs of their choice. Honey Bee Zen will make an equal financial contribution to Canadian bee research and honey authentication programs.

Why honey bee zen and pealows are working together

“We are always looking for new and creative ways to support our community. The partnership with Honey Bee Zen has brought two of our core values together. We are able to support a local food producer, and a portion of every jar sold goes back to invest in local community initiatives,” said Brian Pealow, owner/operator of Pealow’s Your Independent Grocers. “We thank Jeff and Amanda of Honey Bee Zen and all of those who purchase a jar of this delicious honey for their support.”

“When Brian and Julia Pealow approached us with this idea of creating a special-label honey that could be used to generate fundraising for our communities, we jumped at the idea,” said Amanda Goodman Lee, Honey Bee Zen’s co-owner and President.

“My partner Jeff Lee and I firmly believe in supporting our community. Helping Brian and Julia generate funds for their considerable charitable efforts makes so much sense. At the same time, it allows Jeff and I to contribute to important bee research and honey authentication programs. We want people to have complete confidence in the purity of the Canadian honey they buy, and we also want to help research into the complexities bees face in this increasingly urbanized world.”

World Bee Day & Day Of the honey bee

The program comes at a time when Canadians have renewed preference for wholly-Canadian brands and foods. It is also being announced as the Province of B.C. proclaims World Bee Day and Day of the Honey Bee on May 20.  This proclamation, which marries two international recognitions of the critical environmental importance of both honey bees and native pollinators,

Both Honey Bee Zen and Pealows Your Independent Grocer are wholly-owned Canadian companies. The honey used in this project is quality raw and unpasteurized honey produced by Western Canadian beekeepers.

Under the program, every 500g jar of Pealow’s Wildflower Honey sold will generate financial support to be disbursed by each company. They can be found both at Pealow’s store in Creston, and online at www.honeybeezen.com. The first disbursements are expected in 2025.

For more information:

Brian and Julia Pealow Ph: (250) 402-6020; E: brian.pealow4@loblaw.ca

Amanda Goodman Lee  Ph: (604) 777-5430 E: amanda@honeybeezen.com

About Pealow’s Your Independent Grocer

Pealow’s is Creston’s largest grocery store, part of a 168-store Canada-wide chain of Your Independent Grocers, a franchise of Loblaws Companies Ltd. It carries a number of national brands including President’s Choice. It is located at 1501 Cook St, Creston, BC V0B 1G0

About Honey Bee Zen Apiaries Ltd.

Creston-based Honey Bee Zen is one of the largest producers of local, raw and unpasteurized honey in Southeastern B.C. It has a a suite of award-winning creamed and infused honeys.  In addition to the HBZ brand, it owns the Swan Valley Honey brand. You can find their products in more than 40 BC stores, including Metro Vancouver, the Okanagan and the Kootenays.