Stratford mayor takes a pie to the face for a good cause

Christine Foster of Pawsitive Difference Professional Pet Care did the honours on Feb. 27, hitting Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma with a pie to the face – all for a good cause. It was part of Global Pet Foods Stratford’s Show Us Your Heart campaign, which raised $1,234 for Shakespeare based Axel’s Imprint Rescue and Sanctuary, a cat rescue.

CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As the door chime rang and Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma walked into Global Pet Foods Stratford one frigid February day, employees excitedly greeted him and owner Adam Quehl emptied two full bottles of whipped cream into a pie tin.

On Feb. 27, Ritsma came to the store to take a pie to the face after he won a vote to be this year’s unlucky winner of the Show Us Your Heart campaign, an annual fundraiser for local pet rescues.

“The pie in the face thing started like five years ago,” Quehl told the Times just prior to Ritsma’s entrance. “One of our team members, Cole, has always won. And then this year, by popular demand, the mayor won.

“We emailed city hall and Lindsay, his secretary, got back to me and said, ‘Yeah, no problem,’ ” Quehl laughed.

Christine Foster of Pawsitive Difference Professional Pet Care did the honours, but not before Ritsma shared a few words.

“Can I say something first?” he asked, slightly recoiling. “I’m happy to be here and I’m happy I dethroned Cole in the process. So, congratulations on the $1,000-plus and to Global doing their part here in our community.”

“Ready?” Foster asked.

“I am not ready,” Ritsma laughed. “But I'm going to receive this just the same.”

This year, $1,234 was raised for Axel’s Imprint Rescue and Sanctuary, a volunteer-run cat rescue in Shakespeare, surging over the $1,000 goal they had. The money will go towards food, vet bills and general care of the animals.

Axel’s Imprint Rescue and Sanctuary isn’t the only beneficiary of the campaign. Since 2006, the annual campaign takes place across the Global Pet Foods stores in Canada. Since that time, over $2.1 million has been raised for over 130 animal shelters and pet-rescue groups across the nation.