The Okotoks Food Bank will be getting an extra hand with their fundraising efforts from the local Dennys restaurant.

Rajeev Nanda, Director of Operations for Calgary and area Denny's, says the first couple of years in Okotoks were a bit tough.

"We opened up this restaurant in Okotoks in 2011, and initially for a couple of years, we thought we do not belong to the community, That's the kind of response we were getting from the community," he said.

Nanda also says that the town's Community Events Coordinator, Mark Doherty has been a big part of this partnership and Denny's integration into Okotoks.

"He got us the opportunities to help the community. We have done promotions with the Fire Department, the Hospice here, and then off and on we were working with the Okotoks Food Bank," he said.

He says the first few years in Okotoks were challenging, but things have turned around and as a company, they have decided that all of their promotions will be in partnership with the Okotoks Food Bank.

"They have been amazing in every event that we have done with them. Their volunteers have come and they have made it a success," said Nanda.

In some instances, volunteers from the Food Bank help out with serving coffee at the restaurant during promotional events.

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