First virtual Night to Nurture gala is a success

COVID-19 may have prevented The Grocery Foundation from hosting its annual Night to Nurture Gala in person this year, but it didn't hamper donations or attendance to the first-ever online celebration.

Six thousand households from across the country tuned in Jan. 30 to the virtual event, which helped raise $2 million to help fund breakfast programs in Canadian schools and support the work of Kids Help Phone.

"This year’s gala was another undeniable example of just how innovative and giving members of this industry are," said The Grocery Foundation executive director Shaun McKenna. "We’re indebted to so many partners who helped us continue its legacy and to this year’s Gala Planning Committee who were vital to the evening’s success."

The evening, which was hosted by CTV morning show host Anne-Marie Mediwake and actor Gerry Dee, featured stand-up comic Shaun Majumder and a playful round of knock-knock jokes from industry executives including Empire president and CEO Michael Medline, Longo's president and CEO Anthony Longo, Metro CEO Eric La Flèche, Metro's SVP procurement Serge Boulanger, Save-On-Foods president Darrell Jones and Save-On-Foods executive vice-president Jamie Nelson.