The Sask. Valley Foodgrains Bank’s annual charity auction is cancelled this year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event, which is one of the organization’s biggest fundraisers of the year, was scheduled for June 20 and it would have been the 40th year of the auction.
“It was actually going to be a little bit of a highlight this year, running for 40 years and raising money to feed hungry people,” said auction committee chair Walter Wiebe.
Not only did this event raise money to help feed the hungry, but it served as great opportunity for people to gather and enjoy each other’s company.
Despite not being able to have this event, the Sask. Valley Foodgrains bank will still be accepting cash donations throughout the summer and fall.
Past auctions had raised more than $100,000 for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, so not having the auction will have an affect on the organization’s fundraising efforts. Even though the charity auction isn’t happening, all is not lost.
“We were also very thankful we had our supper (fundraiser) on March 13,” Wiebe said. “We were lucky enough to go ahead with our supper and that it still turned out well.”
There were talks of having an online auction but the committee decided to cancel it all together.
The Sask. Valley Foodgrains Bank is still finding ways to raise money in the midst of this pandemic
“We are still planning to go ahead with the cull cow program, which normally takes place before the auction,” Wiebe said. “We normally had local farmers that donated an animal and whatever those animals brought in (after the sale), that was donated to the Sask. Valley Foodgrains bank (charity) auction,” Wiebe said.
If some of the social distancing regulations are lifted by the fall and people can start having larger gatherings, then the Sask. Valley Foodgrains Bank might have a fundraiser in the fall
“We’re not sure how things will progress, I guess depending on what government regulations will be, we might all of a sudden have a fall function. But as of yet nothing has been planned,” Wiebe said.
The Canadian Foodgrains Bank provides food for hungry people worldwide and each year the organization works to end hunger in 40 countries. The pandemic has definitely affected the work the organization does.
“It is definitely affecting them. I had a letter from them the other day stating that there is definitely going to be more hunger in the world because of this (COVID-19 pandemic),” Wiebe said. “There are still some groups that are ongoing with helping aid and supplying food for refugees and stuff like that. So they are still trying their best.”
Hopefully, by next year the Sask. Valley Foodgrains Bank’s can get back to hosting its annual charity auction fundraiser.
“We’ll see how things will be and we’re planning for the next year. Hopefully we can again have an event that we can do some fundraising,” Wiebe said.