It’s a three-peat for the Ward 5 councillor, and it’s earned him the moniker ‘the Chicago Bulls of council’ for his – and his constituents’ – work to fight hunger in Calgary.
Coun. Raj Dhaliwal earned the Golden Lettuce Award for the third consecutive year, tallying the most Calgary Food Bank donations in the now-annual councillors’ challenge done during the Mayor’s Food Bank Challenge.
The challenge started in late November last year as councillors participated in an event to fill as many potato bags as they could. Though Coun. Dhaliwal didn’t quite sack the competition in that event, he more than made up for it with food bank and cash donations to the Calgary Food Bank.
Food bank president and CEO Melissa From said that over the last 27 years of the mayor’s food drive, more than $16 million worth of food and funds has been collected. This year, food and funds combined were $45,363.22
“This is only our third year of the mayor and councillors challenge, but already more than $750,000 in food and funds have been raised to support the Calgary Food Bank,” she said during a council presentation at the Jan. 14 Public Hearing Meeting of Council.
Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian won the potato bagging competition back in November, collecting 700 pounds of spuds, and Coun. Kourtney Penner won the team spirit award. Dhaliwal, however, overcame his 140-pound potato deficit with donations and food collection to win the overall Golden Lettuce Award.
Dhaliwal collected $3,700 and 2,111 lbs of food in the 10-day competition.
“Thank you for your help in feeding Calgarians in need,” From told councillors.
“This contest and fundraising campaign. It’s just one part of our partnership with the City of Calgary.”
Dhaliwal was quick to point out the Chicago Bulls had two three-peats, and he said that’s what he intends to do.
“I think the real winners are Calgarians,” he said.
“This is for them. Thank you to call my colleagues who raised $45,000. That’s amazing. “
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek thanked her council colleagues for coming together to continue a great tradition.
“I really want to thank you all for being so engaged in this,” she said.
“When I envisioned that we would do something together, I had no idea that it would lead to the competitiveness that we have seen.”
