Nearly 600 people sampled soups created by some of Manitoba’s top chefs during the eighth annual Stone Soup Fundraiser.
The event, which was hosted by the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba (CNCM) inside the atrium of Manitoba Hydro Place on Tuesday, March 11, helps raise funds in support of school meal programs across the province.
The Manitoba Teachers’ Society was a proud event sponsor this year.
“Thank you to the Child Nutrition Council for giving us the opportunity to be part of this amazing event. This organization provides a vital service to students and we’re proud to support them,” said MTS president James Bedford, who was on the judges’ panel as local chefs competed for the best soup title. “We also know our members have been spending their own money, buying snacks and meals for their students. Every bit helps, but what we really need is a universal school meal program to ensure no students go to school hungry.”
Establishing a universal meal program for all school-aged children at no cost was one of the Society’s top recommendations for the province’s Kindergarten to Grade 12 education review commission. Some schools in Manitoba currently provide a breakfast, lunch or snack program, some at a cost and others for free.
The CNCM, which helps fund school nutrition programs, supported 271 programs across Manitoba during the 2018-19 school year. The programs provided 30,500 students in kindergarten to Grade 12 with consistent, healthy snacks and meals throughout the school day.
To learn more about the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba, visit http://childnutritioncouncil.com/.