Food4Kids Halton, represented in the charity challenge by Team Millar (owner Millar Farms and driver James MacDonald), received a total donation of $95,000.
Jennifer Sully-Ferraro, executive director of Food4kids Halton, was out of the country for the check presentation, but eagerly attended.
“I literally screamed; I couldn’t believe it. For us, as a small grassroots agency, this is huge.”
Led by prominent owner Marvin Katz, the Breeders Crown Charity Challenge began in 2019 and has annually raised money within the racing community for charities in the Breeders Crown host country area.
Each of this year’s four charities partnered with a leading owner and driver, whose on-track performance (among other metrics) helped determine the donation received. In addition to Food4Kids Halton, Kids Help Phone, the Milton District Hospital Foundation and the Peter Munk Cardiac Center were also participants.
“I have seen the money Marvin Katz and this challenge have made over the years,” said George Millar of Millar Farms. “It’s substantial and I’m sure it’s helped a lot of people, so kudos to him, and I was really happy to be part of it this year with Food4Kids Halton.”
Food4Kids Halton works with local public primary schools to identify families experiencing food insecurity, then volunteers discreetly provide children with bags of food to take home. In the summer, the organization supports families with grocery gift vouchers. As Sully-Ferraro shared, the need for this service remains great.
“Our program continues to grow, which is unfortunate because it means more children in our community are facing food insecurity. Our big goal is to continue without a waitlist, so that every time a school calls us, we can say yes to another child in need.”
Despite the area’s prosperity, the Halton region is seeing an increase in poverty.
“Last school year, we saw an 18 percent increase in the number of children we served compared to the year before, and we distributed 46,048 bags of food.” said Sully-Ferraro. “Looking at the current year and how the trends are going, we will likely see a similar increase this year.”
Food4Kids Halton reminded owner George Millar of another charity close to his heart.
“My daughter runs a charity in South Africa called the Protea Project, which I donate to. It’s all about feeding children and making sure they get healthcare and dental work,” Millar said. “I have always supported organizations that help children. At first I was really surprised that children here at home needed a feeding program.”
Food4Kids Halton gives families with unexpected circumstances extra support.
“We notice that people spend an average of two years in our program,” Sully-Ferraro explains. “The majority of people we serve would much rather be able to do their own shopping. We are grateful that we are there to support them in their time of need, and then we always celebrate when people leave the program for financial stability. That is always the best.”
There are 4,500 children in Ontario in a Food4Kids program, and more than 1,200 of them are in Halton, making Food4Kids Halton one of the largest chapters. The funding comes directly from individuals and businesses in the community.
“We were so impressed with all of you and the way you brought the community together. It was a very special experience for all of us,” Sully-Ferraro said.
The 2025 Breeders Crown Charity Challenge at Woodbine Mohawk Park raised a total of $450,000 for local charities. Since the initiative’s launch in 2019, more than $2.4 million has been donated.
Marvin Katz was recently recognized with the Cam Fella Award, a top industry honor, for his creation and leadership of the Breeders Crown Charity Challenge and its meaningful impact on the Breeders Crown host track communities.
By Woodbine Entertainment
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