A tradition that's been going on for over 40 years will push through Portage la Prairie this weekend.
The Aggie Bed Push will gather contributions through communities all over the province starting Friday and going through Sunday.
Zoe Murray-Mulvey, a Charity Representative with the Faculty of Agriculture Students' Organization at the University of Manitoba, explains that expanding the event to three days instead of two helps the Aggies raise much more for STARS and the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program.
"We discussed it with our Council this year, and because this event has such big awareness, we've decided to choose two well-deserving charities instead of just one. Our first one will be the STARS Foundation and the second one will be the Manitoba Farmers Wellness Program, a mental health outreach for Manitoba farmers."
Friday
- 8:00 a.m. U of M
- 9:00 a.m. La Salle
- 10:20 a.m. Carman
- 12:30 p.m. St. Claude
- 2:20 p.m. Holland
- 3:15 p.m. Mariapolis
- 4:00 p.m. Baldur
- 5:15 p.m. Killarney
Saturday
- 9:00 a.m. Glenboro
- 10:00 a.m. Cypress River
- 11:20 a.m. Carberry
- 1:00 p.m. Austin
- 2:20 p.m. Portage la Prairie
- 4:00 p.m. Oakville
Sunday
- 9:00 a.m Warren
- 10:00 a.m. Stonewall
- 12:00 p.m. Arborg
- 2:15 p.m. Gimli
- 4:00 p.m. Selkirk
"We are going through Portage on Saturday," she continues. "We're going to start on the Avenue. We're pushing where the old Seasons Restaurant was on there, and then we're pushing to 3rd Avenue and ending near the fire station."
If you do not have cash or time to attend the event, you can support the Aggies by donating online through their GoFundMe for the Bed Push.
"We've opened a separate banking account as an organization, and all the donations will be put into that account. Then, once we're done and close the page, we will split it equally. Then, write each charity and equal cheque."
Murray-Mulvey stresses that the Aggies place great importance on the historical significance of the push.
"It's a great tradition to raise awareness. We used to push on the #1 Highway from Winnipeg to Brandon, but it's quite a safety concern to do that now," she laughs.
Rain or shine, the event will take place regardless, and the Aggies hope for your support as they push the bed in 2024.