Temp Gala Industry
There are some rooms you want to be in.
This is one of them.
For nearly five decades, Canada's grocery industry has come together through the Gala - creating connections, celebrating leadership and making a meaningful impact for children and communities.
In 2027, we begin a new and exciting chapter.
The Night to Nurture Gala becomes the Make Happy Tummies™ Gala - uniting the industry together around one national priority: student nutrition across Canada.
Because every child deserves to ne nourished, ready to learn and ready to thrive, when they arrive at school and on the weekends and summer months, too.
A night when the people, companies and leaders shaping Canada’s grocery industry come together to celebrate, connect, share ideas and stand behind something that matters.
For organizations looking to strengthen relationships, deepen industry partnerships and connect with the people shaping Canada's grocery industry, the Gala offers a powerful opportunity to be in the room, bring the people who matter to your business and put your brand in the spotlight.
Join OurPresenting Sponsors
Bring your customers. Bring your partners. Bring your team.
Be in the room with the people shaping Canada's grocery industry - and put your organization at the centre of an evening built around connection, leadership and impact.
This Is Our Opportunity.
For 1 in 3 children in Canada, school starts with a need: they arrive hungry.
For each one of us, that need is an opportunity — to nourish, support, and help children thrive, and invest in the future of the communities we all depend on.
Canada's grocery industry touches communities across the country every day.
We bring food to families. We connect communities. And we can turn that reach into meaningful action for children.
The Make Happy Tummies™ Gala brings retailers, suppliers, manufacturers and industry partners together around one shared goal:
Helping more children arrive at school nourished and ready to learn.
Watch the story behind the inaugural Make Happy Tummies Gala
2027 Sponsors Coming Soon
Imagine the impact on Canadian children if we, as a collective industry, fully engaged.
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Our Industry's Opportunity
Imagine the impact on Canadian children if we, as a collective industry, fully engaged.
This is our Gala.
This is our cause — and our industry at its finest.
This is our opportunity to redefine what possibility and wellness can look like for Canadian children in every neighbourhood where we work, live, and play — together.
Read the Press Release: [English PDF] [French PDF]
THE LEGACY WE'RE BUILDING ON.
2026 CHANGED WHAT'S POSSIBLE.
It is about a child arriving at school with a full tummy, a clearer mind and the freedom to be a kid.
To learn.
To play.
To laugh.
To imagine what's possible.
With your generous contribution, we are keeping our promise to thousands of kids each school week to ensure they are not going hungry. From Alert Bay to Fernie and Victoria to Fort St. John, we fill their backpacks with meals and snacks to last them all weekend long. Backpack Buddies, BC
Carmela Serebryany President, Upper Crust
What does the Make Happy Tummies Gala represent to you personally and to your organization?
No child should have to worry about where their next meal will come from. Every child deserves nutritious food so that they can learn, grow, and thrive. The Gala embodies this belief and is a powerful unifying event.
For Upper Crust, the Gala is a meaningful reflection of the values that guide us as a company: Family, Innovation, and Tradition. It brings our industry together around a shared purpose to support children (and families), embrace making a meaningful difference, and continue our longstanding tradition of giving back.
As this is the first Gala under the Make Happy Tummies brand, what excites you most about being part of it, and how do you hope your involvement helps continue the legacy and impact this event has built over the years?
What excites me most is being part of launching a new chapter while carrying forward the spirit of collaboration and giving that has made this industry's support so meaningful over the years.
When businesses, leaders, and partners bring their resources, relationships, and passion together around a shared purpose, we can accomplish far more than any one organization could alone. I hope Upper Crust's involvement helps build that momentum, inspires even greater participation, and helps continue the legacy and impact this event has created for years to come.
There is something incredibly powerful about an industry built around food coming together to help ensure every child in Canada has access to nutritious, well-balanced meals, shared in the company of friends before their school day begins.
Can you share a memorable Gala moment or an example of the impact you've seen on your organization, your team or the community?
For me, what stands out most is seeing the collective response, with so many people and such a broad cross-section of organizations from across the industry coming together to support children and families facing food insecurity.
That shared sense of responsibility is what makes the initiative so meaningful and reinforces why giving back has always been an important part of Upper Crust's heritage and values.
What is your hope for this Gala and the long-term impact of the industry?
My hope is that the inaugural Make Happy Tummies Gala builds on the success of the events that came before it, while carrying forward and strengthening the long-term collaboration across our industry. Most importantly, I hope it helps create sustained support for children and families who need it.
Our industry has extraordinary reach and resources. By continuing to work together, we can create an impact that extends far beyond one event.
If you were known for one thing related to this inaugural Gala, what would it be?
Bringing people together around a shared purpose with representation from the food, beverage, and consumer goods manufacturing sector, retailers, and so many more companies that support our industry 365 days a year.
I believe the greatest impact comes through collaboration, bringing together our relationships, resources, and collective influence across the entire food industry ecosystem to create meaningful, lasting support for children who are arriving at school hungry.
What three words best describe what the Make Happy Tummies™ Gala means to you?
Purpose. Collaboration. Impact.
William Yu National Sales Director, Bimbo Canada
What does the Make Happy Tummies™ Gala represent to you personally and to your organization?
To me personally, the Make Happy Tummies Gala represents the power of our industry uniting for something far bigger than business. Having attended past galas, I’ve experienced firsthand the incredible energy in the room and the tangible impact this event has delivered. Seeing that difference made me want to step up, get involved directly, and give back. Food is what we do every day, but this event is a powerful reminder that ensuring kids have access to nutritious food is a shared community responsibility.
For Bimbo Canada, it is a meaningful extension of our core purpose. While we take pride in feeding families across the country every day, our involvement here allows us to reach beyond the shelf. It’s about strengthening communities, breaking barriers, and making sure every child has the essential nourishment they needed to learn, grow, and thrive.
As this is the first Gala under the Make Happy Tummies™ brand, what excites you most about being part of it, and how do you hope your involvement helps continue the legacy and impact this event has built over the years?
What excites me most is helping launch this fresh chapter while honouring the event's rich legacy. The Make Happy Tummies brand sharpens our focus around a clear, emotional, and essential truth: every child deserves to feel nourished, supported, and ready to succeed.
I hope to bring energy, authentic connection, and strong cross-industry engagement to this inaugural year. The CPG industry possesses unmatched scale when rallied around a common goal. I want my involvement to help mobilize our network of retailers, suppliers, and leaders to turn this milestone evening into sustained, year-round momentum.
Can you share a memorable Gala moment or an example of the impact you've seen on your organization, your team or the community?
The most defining moment for me was sitting in the room as an attendee at previous galas and witnessing how quickly fierce marketplace competitors set everything aside to champion the cause. The shift from commercial business to a pure, human purpose was palpable.
Seeing that collective generosity inspired me to transition from a guest in the audience to an active contributor on the committee. Within our organization, that same energy takes hold: teams take deep pride in knowing that our daily work connects to creating real opportunity, confidence, and health for children across Canada.
What is your hope for this Gala and the long-term impact of the industry?
My hope is that this inaugural Gala acts as a catalyst for deeper, bolder industry collaboration. We have a unique platform to prove what’s possible when the entire CPG ecosystem unites around child nutrition.
Longer term, I hope the Make Happy Tummies Gala evolves beyond a marquee evening into an enduring movement. With our industry's collective reach and resources, we have both the privilege and the responsibility to ensure no child starts their day at a disadvantage.
If you were known for one thing related to this inaugural Gala, what would it be?
For being a bridgebuilder who turned purpose into collective action. If I can spark genuine enthusiasm, bring key partners to the table, and help rally our industry to give back in a bigger way, that’s the impact I want to leave behind.
What three words best describe what the Make Happy Tummies™ Gala means to you?
Purpose. Nourishment. Impact