Shania Twain, Matty Matheson and 98 other Canadian chefs and celebs are teaming up to fight hunger
Second Harvest’s Race to Rescue aims to fund one million meals in five days
This spring, as farmers’ fields overflow with fresh produce, one in four Canadians will remain uncertain where their next meal is coming from. The irony is stark: at the same time, nearly 50 per cent of the food crops grown in this country—8.83 million tonnes a year—is wasted. That’s enough to feed 17 million people breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day.
Enter Race to Rescue, a fundraising and awareness campaign by Second Harvest, a non-profit that rescues surplus food from across the supply chain and redistributes it to thousands of charities and community organizations nationwide, including food banks, shelters, meal programs and other agencies working to combat food insecurity.
On May 26, beginning at 8 a.m., a roster of 100 Canadian celebrities will take to social media in support of the cause, each armed with a dedicated fundraising page and a plea to help ensure that everyone has enough to eat. You don’t have to be Shania Twain to make a compelling argument against hunger—though Canada’s queen of country-pop is among the campaign’s recruits—but it doesn’t hurt.
Joining Twain in the digital fundraising push are Mitch Marner, a forward for the Vegas Golden Knights and a Team Canada Olympian; Matty Matheson, chef and star of FX’s The Bear; Eric Robertson, one of the chefs behind two-Michelin-starred Pearl Morissette; Anishinaabe Indigenous rights activist Autumn Peltier; filmmaker Aliya Jasmine; Arlene Dickinson of Dragon’s Den; and many more.
Whether you donate through a hockey player, a celebrity chef or a music icon, every single dollar provides enough food to fund five meals—not bad for a few clicks and a little celebrity peer pressure. In a country that wastes nearly half of its food (we’re looking at you, bottom-of-the-crisper carrots), making sure everyone has enough to eat shouldn’t require so much star power. But, as long as the stars are aligned, you might as well get on board.
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.
