Bruce Springsteen shoutout helps Harvest Manitoba collect record donations at concert

A Manitoba organization got an on-stage shoutout from The Boss Wednesday night.

During his sold-out concert at Canada Life Centre, Bruce Springsteen took a moment to praise Harvest Manitoba during his concert and encouraged people to donate to the organization that helps keep Manitobans fed.

“It certainly helped us raise a lot of money,” said Vince Barletta, president and CEO of Harvest Manitoba, adding the shout-out from the stage was “pretty cool.”

The organization was collecting money at the concert and online throughout the day, finishing with $36,000. Barletta said the amount was a record for a concert they’ve fundraised at.

“We know that Bruce Springsteen, the E Street Band, have been supporters of these kinds of issues for a very, very long time, and they support food banks in a lot of communities where they do tours,” Barletta said. “I know that organizations like Harvest Manitoba deeply appreciate the respect they give the people that work here. And also being able to leverage that event to raise some additional money, it makes a big difference.”

Barletta said Harvest Manitoba has seen a 150 per cent increase in use since the pandemic, and the money raised will be a huge help.

“It's a great value that allows us to do our work and move over one million pounds of food through our warehouse each and every month,” he said.