Just over a month after breaking the world record harvest in Winkler, the numbers have come in.

The benefit concert filled the bowl with 8,000 guests. The harvest saw 14,000 people on the field who watched 303 combines harvest simultaneously for five minutes. Even more people watched by tuning into the live stream, which had 59 different countries watching.

There were 723 registered volunteers over the weekend, and the fundraising goal is nearing closer at $925,000 and rising.

Dave Thiessen, National Director with Children's Camps International, says "our focus will be in India for sure, where we have 15,000 churches waiting to get involved. We'll be sending many many more kids to camp."

The camp has a one-year follow-up program as well. "It is critical. That's where we see those changed lives, in the follow-up program."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The record was smashed in Winkler this summer

 

Overall, the event was a success, but the harvest in Winkler was not the only one. This year CCI held other harvest events in Boissevain, five different locations in Saskatchewan, and a very successful first harvest in Alberta.

Awareness for their cause has reached a world-wide scale, and there are six or seven countries who are interested in being sponsored by CCI. For now, they would like to focus on where they are now, and doing their ministry well, but there is potential for more partnerships in the future.

They still plan to expand this month and will be launching new initiatives that will bring in more funds. Thiessen adds, "we believe that the events we plan can be duplicated outside Canada. We are a registered charity in The United States and will be pursuing expanding across North America."

Regardless, Thiessen says, "we're just so thankful for all the volunteers. It takes a community to put something on like this... we saw the community come together like we haven't seen anywhere else."