Food Bank Friday raises at least $281,000 for Greater Vancouver Food Bank

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – As people are looking for ways to give back this holiday season, many stopped by the corner of Granville and Georgie street today for the 19th annual Food Bank Friday.

Rogers radio stations — including NEWS 1130, Kiss Radio, Sportsnet and Jack 96.9 — set a goal of $300,000 for the day, and the running tally as of 3:30 p.m. this afternoon is $281, 689 in donations. As all the cash, online and text donations have yet to be counted — as well as the pounds of food donated — the radio stations are hopeful they surpassed their fundraising goals.

All that money raised today can be used to purchase more than $845, 000 in food for the more than 26,000 people who use the food bank every week.

The film community has come forward with the biggest donation: over $223,000 dollars.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Mitch Davies with IATSE, says several film crews raise the money by competing to see who can collect the most. Over the last few years, he says they’ve raised close to $800,000.

“We do it every year, it’s called the Real Thanksgiving Challenge,” he says. “We have individual crew members, cast that donate to this wonderful cause.

“The cast on Supernatural got behind it in a big way, they did this pie-throwing contest … we’re just really happy to be involved.”

Supernatural was the production that raised the most money, against other productions like iZombie that all pitted themselves against each other in the friendly competition.

Many others answered the calls for donations.

Christie Burden stopped by to donate a couple cans of food, including rice, tuna and canned fruit. She and others that donated agree that it feels good to give back.

“I just think there’s a lot of people out there in need, and it’s Christmas, and if you can give, why not give?” she says.

She says she heard that the event was happening on the radio on her way to work, and came to help out.

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