Tasty Tunes: Music for the soul, food for the hungry
Newfoundland and Labrador musicians and chefs offered their services Saturday to put food food on other peoples' tables.
CBC's Tasty Tunes brought together music and food at the Delta Hotel in St. John's on Saturday to raise money for the Community Food Sharing Association.
Eg Walters, the association's general manager, said the fundraiser was an "absolutely awesome" way to help fulfill the needs of food banks across the province, especially as people tend to be "donored out" for a few months after Christmas.
"There'll be thousands of people throughout Newfoundland and Labrador who are using food banks who are going to be helped by what CBC did here this afternoon," he said during the event.
"The biggest stars of all are the people that came and showed up here today and bought their tickets to help the less fortunate."
Donations are the "lifeblood" of the association, said Walters.
"It gives us the ability to collect and distribute food to not only food banks throughout the island part of the province but up into Labrador as well. It's a big boost to us, especially this time of year," he said.
"We always talk about Newfoundland and the long, cold hungry month of March. Well, it's not going to be the long, cold hungry month of March anymore thanks to this event today."
Food security and safety important
Kat McLevey, one of several musical performers, said it "feels fantastic" to take part in the event.
"When I was in high school, I worked a lot at my high school with the gardening program, and we worked with some food banks around town," she said.
"The issue of food security and food safety is so prevalent in Newfoundland, and it is really important to me. It's a great feeling to be a part, to support that."
Mallard Cottage owner/chef Todd Perrin, one of four local chefs tickling the tastebuds of attendees, served up fish stew. He said taking part in Tasty Tunes was an easy call.
"We try to get out and support local charities wherever we can, especially food-related ones. That's our business, and we care a lot about that stuff," he said.
"The Community Food Sharing Association is one that we've done some work for in the past, so when we got asked to get involved in this, we were happy to do it, so we're glad to be here."
Katie Rowe, senior communications officer for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador, said the event was something of a follow-up to CBC's Feed NL Day campaign over Christmas, and seemed to have gone well.
About $9,500 raised
"I heard a lot of positive comments about both the food and the talent in the room. All around good community feelings," she said.
Rowe said about 300 people attended Tasty Tunes, and although the final tally wasn't yet in, she expected the proceeds going to the Community Food Sharing Association would total around $9,500.
