'A really neat idea': Selfies with sunflowers fundraiser returns to Manitoba
Along the Trans-Canada Highway stands a sea of sunflowers, a place where Manitobans can go to take selfies, all for a good cause.
The flowers are located near MacGregor, Man. and if people want to take pictures, all they have to do is donate, with money raised going to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
This is one of several fundraisers being put on by FOCUS (Feed Other Countries, Undo Starvation), a collective of farmers and volunteers between Austin and Elie who work to raise money for the foodgrains bank.
“Altogether we look after about 400 acres that gets donated,” says Dean Toews, FOCUS chairperson. “Of those fields, some of them, farms look after, some of them, our board look after, and then the harvest proceeds go toward Canadian Foodgrains Bank.”
Last year was the first time Toews had run the sunflower selfie fundraiser, the success of which inspired him to do it again.
“We raised $2,000 just in cash donations on the field,” he says. “There would have been some online donations as well. And then the proceeds from the crop worked out to about $20,000.”
The FOCUS growing project as a whole raised approximately $200,000 across their 400 acres last year.
“It was a really neat idea that is new to the variety of growing projects across the country,” says Julie Derksen, the supporter relations manager of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. “And it’s a really innovative idea where people are stopping and they’re learning something new about us, about the FOCUS growing project, and about our collective mission to end hunger.”
Toews has made changes this year to enhance the experience over last year. “We have a trail system that we worked into the fields so people can walk into the crops,” he says. “There’s areas in there for even if a group wants to take pictures in there. We have spaces inside the crops so you can be surrounded 360 degrees by sunflowers, and stay as long as you like.”
Toews predicts the fundraiser will run for approximately three weeks as long as weather conditions remain ideal.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.