Harvest Manitoba Gala Raises Record $6.5 Million to Tackle Food Insecurity

The sold-out event, held Thursday evening at the RBC Convention Centre, brought together supporters, community leaders and some of Manitoba’s top chefs for a night focused on fighting hunger across the province. The fundraiser featured live entertainment, personal stories from those impacted by food insecurity and the event’s signature celebrity-signed handcrafted bowls.

The evening’s biggest announcement was a transformational $5-million gift from the family of the late Doug Harvey and Jan Shute in support of Harvest Manitoba’s planned Manitoba Food Transformation Centre.

In recognition of the donation, the facility will be named the Doug Harvey, Jan Shute and Family Manitoba Food Transformation Centre. The centre is expected to significantly increase Harvest Manitoba’s ability to recover, process, store and distribute food throughout the province.

Harvest Manitoba President and CEO Vince Barletta called the donation a historic investment in Manitoba’s food security network.

“Last night was an extraordinary moment for Harvest Manitoba and our community,” Barletta said in a statement. “This remarkable gift is a beautiful reflection of Doug’s legacy and the generosity of Doug, Jan and their family.”

Harvey was a longtime philanthropist and supporter of Manitoba charities. Before his passing, he helped raise nearly $2 million for CancerCare Manitoba and was known for his commitment to giving back to the community.

While the gala has ended, fundraising efforts continue. Online bidding on auction items remains open until Saturday evening, including celebrity-signed bowls and other unique prizes. A raffle for an Air Canada trip anywhere in the world is also continuing.

Harvest Manitoba says the funds raised will help strengthen its efforts to address growing food insecurity and support Manitobans in need.

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