First annual Perogy-Fest raising funds for Ukrainian aid

Winnipeg -

Get your appetite ready and stock up on sour cream.

The Springfield Chamber of Commerce (SCC) is hosting the first annual Perogy-Fest.

The new event is aimed at paying homage to southern Manitoba’s strong Ukrainian heritage, while raising funds for the Canadian Red Cross’s Ukrainian humanitarian crisis fund.

Nine restaurants are serving up their takes on varenyky, offering the classic cheese and potato-filled dumplings, as well as in pizza and dessert form.

SCC Board Director Shandy Walls said the event comes at a critical time for the business community.

“Restaurants have had the worst time over the last two years,” Walls told CTV Morning Live Winnipeg as she waited for an order of perogies at Pineridge Hollow, one of the eateries participating in the fest.

“I was a little nervous when I started calling local caterers and restaurants saying, ‘Hey, how about this idea of Perogy-Fest, but we would like you to donate 10 per cent of your proceeds back to us so we can assemble all of those proceeds and send it off to the Canadian Red Cross in support of Ukraine?’ Everybody without hesitating said, ‘Absolutely.’”

The event runs now until April 18. The public is also invited to vote for their favourite perogies online, with winners set to be announced on April 25.

Walls hopes the perogy-filled event will be the perfect recipe of commerce and community.

“The Springfield Chamber, and any chamber has two main objectives - one is to drive revenue for local businesses, and the other is to strengthen community. I think with Perogy-Fest, we're doing a pretty good job of both,” she said.

- With files from CTV's Joey Slattery