Surrey’s annual giveaway of cosmetically imperfect fruit and vegetables smashed a Guinness World Record on Saturday after organisers said they redistributed 246,528.61 kilograms (543,501 pounds) of produce in a single 24-hour period.
From backyard idea to record-setting event
What began in 2022 as a modest pick-up at a South Surrey farm has scaled into a mass redistribution effort that drew tens of thousands of people to the Cloverdale Agriplex this year. Organisers estimate that more than 30,000 attendees turned out to collect “ugly” produce that otherwise might have been discarded.
Tyler Heppell, who started the initiative, described an intense stretch of preparation culminating in the Guinness adjudication and the public announcement of the new mark. He told media he felt “euphoric” as volunteers and organisers gathered to receive the official certification.
“This was the hardest week of my absolute life. It stretched me in ways I have never been stretched before… I’m euphoric right now,” Heppell said.
Record confirmed, community credited
An official adjudicator from Guinness World Records weighed pallets at the Agriplex before presenting the certificate to Heppell alongside other leaders involved in the event. The prior record — set by the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau in 2016 — stood at 224,064.2 kilograms (493,977 pounds).
| Event | Year | Produce redistributed (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Surrey, BC (Odd Bunch) | 2026 | 246,528.61 |
| Sacramento, CA | 2016 | 224,064.2 |
Organisers credited thousands of volunteer hours and cooperation from farmers and food-rescue groups for achieving the new high-water mark. Divy Ojha, founder of Odd Bunch, and Evan Ehlers, founder of Sharing Excess, were among those recognised during the presentation.
Voices at the event and the message behind it
Motivational speaker Tony Robbins, who attended, expressed emotional support for both donors and recipients and thanked volunteers and farmers. He emphasised the human intent behind the donations.
“If you’re receiving, I hope you receive the love that’s being put into that food because somebody’s donating that not for anything but for your well‑being, and they love you,” Robbins said.
Organisers said the event aims to challenge perceptions about produce that is perfectly edible but fails cosmetic standards for retail. Heppell characterised the day as an exercise in kindness and community accumulation — small acts that add up.
- Scale: More than 246,000 kg of produce redistributed in 24 hours.
- Participation: Organisers estimate over 30,000 people attended this year.
- Partners: Local farms, volunteers, food-rescue organisations and event founders played key roles.
Local media coverage of the event highlighted not only the volume redistributed but also the logistics required to collect, sort, weigh and distribute the produce in a limited time frame. Organisers said the effort required intense co‑ordination in the week leading up to the giveaway.
Broader context: food waste and redistribution
The Surrey event ties into wider conversations about food waste in Canada and internationally. Across the food system, produce rejected for aesthetic reasons contributes to avoidable loss despite being nutritionally sound. Initiatives that rechannel that food to the public or to charities are one practical response, though they do not eliminate the systemic drivers of waste.
For now, Surrey’s record-setting giveaway stands as a visible demonstration of community mobilisation and a reminder of how local initiatives can scale rapidly when they tap public goodwill and cross-sector cooperation.
Organisers said they plan to continue the event in future years, framing it as both a practical redistribution effort and a public awareness campaign about food resilience and generosity.
