THUNDER BAY — The local United Way had a record-breaking year with it's 2024 Novemburger campaign.
The fundraiser sold 44,695 burgers from 41 eateries across the city, raising over $130,000 to fund local community food programs and initiatives, including the RFDA and the Dew Drop Inn.
Erika Mikkola, the Novemburger "Chef de Mission," organized this local campaign and coached nine other United Ways across Canada to host it in their cities. She said this year's Novemburger' blew standards out of water.'
"When I brought this event to Thunder Bay back in 2019, I really had no idea how big it was gonna be," said Mikkola.
"And how much the community was truly going to love this event and love going out and supporting restaurants and trying all the different creations. It's so heart-touching and special to see just how much they get behind it."
The mouth-watering smell of fresh-cooked burgers and smoked sage wafted through the Red Lion Smokehouse in Thunder Bay at the wrap event for the campaign on Thursday.
Red Lion Smokehouse won the Top Novemburger of the Year award with its Smoke Show burger — winning for its presentation, taste, originality and overall execution.
John Murray, the head chef and owner at Red Lion Smokehouse, cooked some Smoke Show burgers for the celebration. He said they sell more Novemburgers every single year than they did the previous year and it's always a personal goal to 'sort of smash their records.'
"It's really nice to get the award but to be honest, it's an amazing thing that we look forward to every year regardless of our outcome because it's such an amazing thing for our community," said Murray.
Outlaws Burgers & Fries received the title of Most Novemburgers Sold for selling 6,692 burgers, doubling the previous year's record of 3,305.
Owner Justin Dang said it feels amazing to sell that much in their debut year. Dang said the choice to participate in the campaign was probably one of the best decisions they've ever made and they will 'definitely be back next year.'
Dawson General Store won the 2024 People's Choice Novemburger awards, followed by Outlaws Burgers & Fries in second place and the Sal in third.
This year there was more than burgers made for the campaign, Sleeping Giant Brewing Company also produced the Novembrewger — a non-alcoholic root beer. They said around 7,180 of these cans were packaged over the month, resulting in a nearly $1,795 donation to the United Way.
Albert Brule, the CEO of United Way of Thunder Bay, helped announce the winners of Novemburger's awards.
"It's wonderful to see the community getting behind it. So many restaurants, so many burger lovers, even vegetarian burger lovers, had beautiful choices," said Brule.
Over the last six years, Brule said they've made $275,000, with $130,000 of it being this year, and if it continues to grow, it would make it one of their most significant signature fundraising events.
He thinks they would like to make it possible or a little easier for even the smallest of communities, even if they have one or two restaurants, to participate in 2025.
Mikkola said they have big goals and big hopes for next year, from growing the event in the city to expanding more into the region and getting more United Ways across Canada involved.
