Harvest Manitoba’s Empty Bowls Dinner raised a record $6.5 million this year. (HARVEST MANITOBA / FACEBOOK)
Harvest Manitoba raised $6,527,000 at its annual Empty Bowls Celebrity Auction Dinner on Thursday, the largest gala fundraising total in the province’s history.
The sold-out event was held at the RBC Convention Centre and featured top Manitoba executive chefs, live performances and celebrity-signed bowls.
The highlight of the evening was the announcement of a $5 million gift from the Doug Harvey and Jan Shute family toward Harvest Manitoba’s planned Manitoba Food Transformation Centre. The facility will be named the Doug Harvey, Jan Shute and Family Manitoba Food Transformation Centre.
Harvey was a longtime friend of Harvest Manitoba who gave his time and money to organizations across the province. He raised nearly $2 million for CancerCare Manitoba in his final months.
“Last night was an extraordinary moment for Harvest Manitoba and our community,” said Vince Barletta, president and CEO of Harvest Manitoba.
“This remarkable gift is a beautiful reflection of Doug’s legacy and the generosity of Doug, Jan and their family. It will help strengthen food security across our province for generations. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who made this historic evening possible.”
Bidding remains open online until Saturday at 6 p.m. CDT.
