It was another incredible year for CBC Toronto’s Sound of the Season!
Running from mid-November to December 2022, this annual holiday tradition raised an astounding $860,048 and nearly 53,000 pounds of food in support of GTA food banks. Combined with the $180,000 raised for other Ontario food programs, Sounds of the Season fundraised over $1 million for food banks across the province this year.
One of the biggest highlights was our return to a live Metro Morning show on December 2 from the beautiful Glenn Gould Studio, with the first full live audience since 2019.
During the program, host Ismaila Alfa spoke to food bank clients about their experiences andthe impact of inflation. We also heard from volunteers who have mobilized entire neighbourhoods to raise much needed food and funds for the community, and members of the food bank sector who are supporting their neighbours daily and ensuring they can access the nourishing food they need.
In between, artists like the Strumbellas, TRP.P, Aqyila and Chad Price serenaded the live audience and those listening at home.
On December 17, we held family-friendly community events at Toronto’s Don Mills Library and the Pickering Town Centre. Attendees met CBC personalities, enjoyed festive tunes and live performances, snapped pictures at the CBC photo booth and dropped off nonperishable food donations.
During our first-ever School Challenge, students from across the city collected over 42,000 pounds of food through this fun and friendly competition. The creativity was unparalleled: One teacher at Bloor Collegiate Institute even inspired her students to donate by vowing that if they brought in 500 items, they could duct tape her to a wall! (They ended up bringing in 1,080 items and she stayed up on the wall for a full 20 minutes!)
The winning school was Enquiring Minds Montessori School in Scarborough, where the students collected an impressive 8.95 pounds of food per student. They’ll be receiving a pizza party for the entire school, courtesy of Pizza Pizza, and a visit from CBC hosts and a special VIP guest.
From Aurora to Brampton, Swansea to Pickering, Community Champions all over the GTA rallied their neighbourhoods to donate food, bringing in thousands more pounds of donations for the fight against hunger.
Throughout the six-week program, CBC aired special programming and interviews to raise awareness about the growing food insecurity crisis. We heard from food programs serving university students, , truck drivers who deliver to food programs across the city, and members from our agency network about what life is like on the ground. These stories served as a critical reminder that much work still needs to be done to end food insecurity in our communities.
We sincerely thank everyone who made Sounds of the Season such a success this year: the generous donors, diligent volunteers, passionate food-raisers and all those who shared their stories for the program. We are deeply grateful to everyone at CBC for raising awareness of these important stories and amplifying the call for much-needed funds.
Food is a human right. Through the support of CBC Sounds of the Season, the city came together to ensure that everyone in need of food has a place to turn to for support. Thank you!
