Viral Stories

In an unprecedented display of cross-border camaraderie, an American father and son who embarked on a nine-hour road trip to Canada solely to purchase a specific snack have found themselves overwhelmed by community support. Rich Lieberman and his 15-year-old son, Jacob, from Virginia, traveled to Niagara Falls, Ontario, to secure Lays ketchup chips, a Canadian-exclusive flavor.

During their July excursion, the duo purchased 40 of the 41 available bags at a local No Frills grocery store, deliberately leaving one behind for other shoppers. The store’s subsequent Facebook post detailing the heartwarming pilgrimage quickly went viral, amassing thousands of shares and catching the attention of major corporate brands.

"We saw the ketchup chips and thought that was kind of weird, honestly. I'd never heard of such a thing, but I knew he liked ketchup, so we bought him a bag." — Rich Lieberman

Following the viral surge, the Lieberman family was besieged by generous shipments. No Frills delivered nine cases of assorted Canadian chips, allowing Jacob to sample other regional favorites like all-dressed chips. Heinz followed suit with customized apparel and bottled ketchup, while Old Dutch Foods contributed additional snack varieties.

Rather than hoarding this surplus, the family has chosen a path of philanthropy. "We have actually donated each shipment to different schools after trying the different chips," Lieberman stated. "I am currently researching several soup kitchen-type places in our area and will donate most of the ketchup there."

Official Social Media Update

The story was widely covered by major news outlets, including an official feature by CBC News highlighting the family's charitable pivot:

Read the full original report on Yahoo News Canada