'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
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.
Government proposes new policy for federally regulated employees to disconnect from work
In their 2024 budget, the federal government wants to amend the Canada Labour Code, so employers in federally regulated sectors will eliminate work-related communication with employees outside of scheduled hours. If implemented, this would affect roughly 500,000 employees across the country.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.