read on Sootoday – published August 13, 2026
Rotaryfest organizers provide Harvest Algoma with surplus food after poor air quality due to wildfire smoke cut food court sales over the weekend
Despite a challenging weekend marked by poor air quality conditions, Rotaryfest, The Sault’s Summer Festival found a way to give back to the community. David Saunders, co-chair of the Rotaryfest food court, co-ordinated the donation of a significant amount of surplus food to Harvest Algoma following this year’s festival.
The Rotary food court was one of the festival areas most impacted by the elevated wildfire smoke levels across the region, resulting in a large amount of unsold food and an approaching Sunday grounds take-down deadline.
Rather than see the food go to waste, Saunders sprung into action, ensuring the surplus food went directly to those in need in the Sault Ste. Marie community.
David Saunders gathered a small team of Rotarians and volunteers Sunday morning and began loading. We donated everything that was left, whatever we had.
The group packed sausages, perogies, raviolis, meatballs, chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, buns, condiments, granola bars, and even drumstick ice cream cones in their vehicles to bring them to Harvest Algoma’s food resource centre on Second Line East. In addition to food, David and co-chair Riccardo DiTommaso loaded over a hundred cases of pop and water. It’s going to go back in the community, and that’s what we’re all about.
In total, the club donated over 8,000 pounds of product.
Saunders also expressed a concern for Rotary’s food court vendors who are long standing partners of Rotaryfest, and who would typically accept returns from Rotary for certain items. None of the suppliers who help us out and do so much for us should be made to pay for the weather. These are local businesses who support our festival.
Harvest Algoma, which works to alleviate hunger in the Algoma Region, gratefully received their donation.
“The cases of water and frozen food are critical to the community, especially this time of year. A lot of the folks doing the groundwork, the front-line work, they’re not even on the receiving end of it, but every worker who comes in and sees this is grateful to be able to provide it to their clients.” community enterprise manager Lauren Moran explained.
“By giving it to us, you’re directly funneling it out to the people most in need in our community. We have 65 to 70 organizations that each have the opportunity to come in and take some of this back to their clients. It makes a huge difference.”
The donation reflects the spirit of Rotaryfest and the Rotary Club’s longstanding commitment to serving the Sault Ste. Marie community. Despite the difficulties the festival faced this year, the Rotary Club looks forward to bringing the community together again at Rotaryfest 2027.
“A huge thank you to our community who gave us well wishes and / or came out to support our club, Rotaryfest itself, and the community we live in given the extraordinary weather and circumstances. This festival is about giving back to our community while raising funds through our Take Your Pick Draw to support youth in our community and provide this annual family fun filled festival!” shared club president Anthony Pucci.
“We live in a great and generous community and we want to recognize everyone who contributed and so happy that David and the food court could make that donation of food to Harvest Algoma.”