An Abbotsford charity auction saw a hot item sell for a remarkable price: 16 rolls of Purex – 2 ply – toilet paper went for over $400.
The item is clearly a gag over the public’s strange rush to buy toilet paper, which has caused wide shortages since the outbreak of COVID-19.
The annual Make a Difference Auction, which raises money for the Canadian Food Grains Bank at the Abby Stockyard, had the TP as the first item up for grabs on March 12.
Normally, the auction has typically seen cattle and farm-use items for sale. But in the last few years the selection has branched out to include fresh fruit, ice cream, artisan cheeses, golf passes, fishing trips, lawn tractors, and this year, some fresh TP.
The sales of these items goes directly towards the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, with the goal of ending hunger around the world. Last year a record was broken, with a total of $269,000 raised.
“It was an incredible moment,” said auction co-ordinator,” Rob Brandsma. “I’m hoping we can do that again this year.”
Since its creation in the mid 1990s, the auction has raised over $2.5 million to end world hunger.