Members of city council will forgo lunch Wednesday and instead forward the money it would have spent to the food bank.

Council made the decision Monday night after a presentation on Hunger Awareness Week by Steve Robertson, the treasurer for the Whitehorse Food Bank.

Robertson said as part of the current awareness week, he's encouraging everyone to give up at least one meal tomorrow, or at some other time during the week.

He's also asking that those who participate encourage others to share the experience of what it feels like to give up a meal, and to also make a donation of food, funds or time to the food bank.

Each month, he told council, 1,200 clients rely on the food bank in the old Royal Canadian Legion on Alexander Street, he said.

Robertson said nationally, more than 900,000 people need their local food bank to help make ends meet every month.

Yukoners can participate in Hunger Awareness Week by giving up a meal, encouraging others to do so and supporting the food bank, he said.

"So please, everybody, ‘Give it Up, Give a Shout,' and ‘Give it Out.'”

Robertson said Yukon MP Ryan Leef was the first Conservative MP to accept the national challenge of fasting tomorrow, and he and his staff plan to go without food for 24 hours.

Leef will also be making a donation to the food bank, and will be on hand Saturday at Home Hardware to promote the importance of supporting the food bank and assist with the booth organized at Home Hardware to receive donations, he said.

"The Yukon can be proud that Yukon's MP was the very first Conservative to sign up for the Food Banks Canada fasting challenge on May 9.”

Robertson pointed out Vanier Catholic Secondary School held a Think Fast event last Friday and Saturday.

Sixty students participated in a 24-hour fast, while other students are being asked to bring donations of non-perishable food products to school tomorrow.

"Finally, I'd like to thank your worship Mayor (Bev) Buckway for proclaiming this week Hunger Awareness Week in Whitehorse as well as Commissioner Doug Phillips for making a similar proclamation Yukon-wide.”

Coun. Dave Stockdale immediately recommended that members of council give up the lunch they normally receive at noon-hour meetings when they meet tomorrow at lunchtime.

Adding his support to Stockdale's suggestion, Coun. Kirk Cameron asked for and received support from council to donate to the food bank the $120 it would have cost to provide the lunch to council and staff tomorrow.

The local food bank handed out more than $500,000 worth of food last year. It needed about $325,000 to operate over the year.