Edmonton food bank tastes success at heritage festival
Food is a big part of the Servus Edmonton Heritage Festival.
Over the long weekend, more than 360,000 people packed Hawrelak Park to sample the sights, sounds and tastes of 85 different cultures.
The event is also a major fundraiser for the food bank.
Marjorie Bencz, executive director of the Edmonton Food Bank, said by Monday afternoon this year's drive already looked to be the most successful ever.
"People tend to think of us at Christmas and festive times of the year, and that's important," she said, "but unfortunately we do need supplies of food coming in throughout the course of the year."
The food bank has seen increased demand since September 2014.
At the heritage festival, patrons were asked to donate unused food tickets. Those tickets are turned into money. Last year, the food bank raised more than $50,000 that way.
Bencz said people should remember that donations of nonperishable food can be dropped off any time at local fire halls and most major grocery stores.
This year's heritage festival was especially poignant for Jack Little, who will step down after 13 years as executive director.
Rain on Saturday cut attendance by about 15 per cent from the year before.
But Sunday was sunny and warm, and the festival saw its largest single day in its 40-year history.
Little said he leaves the job with mostly good memories.
"One of my most favourite times was when I first started," he said. "Nineteen countries had pulled out of the festival, in a dispute, and my biggest memory was being able to have them come back into the festival."
Little said he hopes the festival's new leaders will look for fresh opportunities to celebrate diversity throughout the year.
