Sounds of the Season off to strong start: $310K raised, 15,190 pounds of food donated
Annual charity drive in support of local food banks kicks off at Canadian Broadcasting Centre
Sounds of the Season — CBC Toronto's charity drive in support of local food banks — got a strong start Friday, raising more than $310,000 in donations as the day of live television, radio and music kicked off the annual campaign.
Thousands came to the Canadian Broadcasting Centre for a special day of programming. People arrived as early as 3 a.m. to ensure they got a seat to see the live broadcast of Metro Morning and special musical performances in the Glenn Gould studio. By the time the broadcast had aired, more than $200,000 in donations had already poured in.
For those who couldn't get a seat in the Gould studio, others filled seats in the Atrium where they watched the broadcast on a big screen.
The crowd enjoyed performances by singer Julie Nesrallah, who also hosts Tempo on CBC Radio 2. Other performances included a rocking rendition of Come All Ye Faithful by Sharon Riley and the Faith Chorale. Another highlight of the morning was singer Francesco Yates's stirring version of the Leonard Cohen classic Hallelujah.
CBC q host Shad entertained the audience, while Drive host Rich Terfry added to the day's soundtrack.
Hundreds of people also brought food donations to the Canadian Broadcasting Centre, all of which topped out at 15,190 pounds by the end of the day.
Last year, Sounds of the Season raised more than $600,000 and collected 40,000 pounds of food.
CBC hopes to top those figures this year, with plans to collect donations and food until Dec. 31.
If you've not yet donated, here's how you can contribute.