March 20, 2012
Edmonton Eskimos
ESKS.com Staff
(Edmonton) The City of Edmonton offically declared March 18-24, 2012 Inner City Awareness Week, which has become a tradition since 1996. Each year the week consists of initiatives including the Inner City Roast Beef Dinner and the Mac & Cheese Luncheon.
Eskimo fullback Mathieu Bertrand, along with Manager of Community & Amateur Football Relations Brad Morgan, served up roast beef to more than 800 of Edmonton’s inner city residents on Sunday, March 18. This is the 12th consecutive year that the Inner City Agencies Foundation (ICAF) has kicked off Inner City Awareness Week with the Roast Beef Dinner. 
On Tuesday, March 20, Bertrand attended the 17th Annual Mac & Cheese Luncheon, along with former star receiver Ed Hervey, Presient & CEO Len Rhodes and Head Coach Kavis Reed, who was the keynote speaker. Reed talked about how he immediately felt Edmonton was home when he arrived here to play football back in 1995. He spoke about what it meant to be a community, a team, a champion. Kavis’ moving speech earned him a standing ovation from the numerous corporate sponsors and dedicated supporters in attendance at the Westin Hotel.
The Inner City Agencies Foundation (ICAF) is a joint initiative that combines the efforts of seven inner city agencies to fundraise for and provide a network of services to alleviate poverty-related problems such as housing, addiction, healthcare, nutrition and education in Edmonton.