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Tech sector steps up for Mustard Seed

Victoria’s high-tech community has raised $300,000 to help tackle the issue of local food security.
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Mustard Seed's food security distribution centre

Victoria’s high-tech community has raised $300,000 to help tackle the issue of local food security.

During its annual awards show June 14, investor and former chair of the Victoria Innovation, Advanced Technology and Entrepreneurship Council, Rasool Rayani, challenged the full-house audience to pledge money to the cause. They raised $200,000 on the spot.

The money was combined with $100,000 from the Victoria Foundation, which will be given to the Mustard Seed Street Church to further develop its Food Security Distribution Centre.

The centre, on Viewfield Road in Esquimalt, currently brings in about 1,815 kilograms of rescued produce each day and is part of the Food Share Network, a partnership of 50 organizations that operate food security programs in Greater Victoria.

The Mustard Seed estimates more than 35,000 people in Greater Victoria seek a reliable source of food every month.

Dan Gunn, chief executive of VIATEC, said raising that kind of money within minutes is just a small example of the local industry’s generosity.

During the VIATEC awards more than 20 individuals and companies stepped up to fund the large donation. They were: Redbrick Technologies, Checkfront, Kixeye, Kano, Rumble, Scott and Jessica Lake, StarFish Medical, RingPartner, FamilySparks, Mark Longo, Stuart Bowness, Gord Macdougall, RaceRocks, Telmediq, Royal Roads University, FreshWorks Studio, Watershed, Quimper, VIATEC and the Victoria Foundation.

Anyone wanting to donate: victoriafoundation.bc.ca/make-a-donation.