You can eat cheese in the name of charity this weekend
Cheese Boutique is donating an entire day’s sales to a good cause
Cheese Boutique has been the site of many a fun event, including food truck frenzies and a CNE-inspired street festival. But, on April 26, Toronto’s favourite master of cheese, Afrim Pristine, will host a fundraiser at his Ripley Avenue store in support of a cause that’s deeply personal to him: mental health.
“In 2020, we lost my youngest brother—who, to all of us Pristines, was the best one—due to mental health complications,” says Pristine. “This event is first and foremost about awareness and communication, so that no other family has to go through what we went through. The money we raise is a bonus.”
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In the wake of their loss, the Pristine family established the Cheese Boutique Fund. On the last Sunday in April, 100 per cent of sales from both the main store and CB Bottega will be donated to St. Joseph’s Health Centre—where all the Pristine brothers as well as Afrim’s son were born—to support mental health care services.
“Mental health treatment has made huge strides over the years, but it’s still far from where it needs to be,” says Pristine. “St. Joe’s is the second-busiest hospital in Toronto. St. Joe’s sees significant demand for mental health care, with 46,000 patients seeking support each year. That demand continues to grow—so every dollar counts.” Last year, the one-day fundraiser brought in $65,000.
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Team members from St. Joseph’s will also be on hand to provide information about their programs and highlight resources that are accessible to everyone.
“The Cheese Boutique is an open place—we welcome everyone, always,” says Pristine. “There’s so much going on in the world, so we’re happy to be a place where people can forget about all the nonsense. Some people are too broken inside to feel safe anywhere; this is our chance to help them too.”
So if you’re looking for a good excuse to splurge on cheese (and meat, olives, bread and cake), there you have it.
Erin Hershberg is a freelance writer with nearly two decades of experience in the lifestyle sector. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and two children.
