$317K raised and counting: It was a holiday party on Metro Morning for Sounds of the Season
CBC
Does your idea of holiday cheer include Bugs Bunny breaking up with your not-so-special someone on your behalf? Or perhaps a more traditional birthday or congratulations message?
Eric Bauza, a Scarborough-born voice actor and the official voice of Bugs Bunny and some of his friends, is giving away a video or voice message to help raise funds for local food banks.
"We are giving," Bauza said, slipping in and out of his Bugs Bunny voice. "It's that time of year!"
It was Sounds of the Season morning at CBC Toronto, as Metro Morning hosted a holiday special in front of a live studio audience at the Glenn Gould Studio.
The annual festive fundraiser, which runs all month, is in support of local food banks.
Metro Morning's Ismaila Alfa hosted Friday morning's show, which began dark and early at 5:30 a.m. ET. There was music from Aqyila, TRP.P, Chad Price, and the Strumbellas (Oh, and you also heard the Canadian voice of Bugs Bunny).
From 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., donations up to $35,000 were matched by regular Daily Bread Food Bank donors Jan Oudenes and Isobel Ralston. For the duo, Sounds of the Season has become a tradition that sees them trekking down in the wee hours of the morning to get their seat at the Toronto Broadcasting Centre.
Those working to keep food on the table for vulnerable Torontonians, and those who have found themselves seeking support at food banks joined the broadcast to share their experiences.
Enitan Ayaji is a former food bank user who now works full-time as a kitchen assistant at Daily Bread Food Bank, in addition to being a part-time student in food insecurity at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Ayaji was first motivated to volunteer after almost losing her son, she said. When he survived she said, "I'm going to do anything to say, 'thank you God.'"
When she googled Daily Bread Food Bank and realized she'd been a past beneficiary, it just felt right. It was her chance, she said, to "do something good for my community."
More people across the city — and all across Ontario — are turning to food banks this year.
"Don't give up," encouraged Ayaji, "Just do your best."
That is what people are trying to do, Feed Ontario's Carolyn Stewart recently told CBC News.
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