A longstanding Harrow Fair tradition has raised more than $108,000 to support children and youth with disabilities and special needs across Windsor-Essex. The 2026 Harrow Fair Memorial Pie Auction raised $108,100 for the John McGivney Children’s Centre (JMCC) on Friday, after severe weather forced organizers to postpone the event by a day. The auction had originally been scheduled for Thursday, but Harrow Fair staff and volunteers reorganized the event following the weather delay. “The amount of work that goes into making the Pie Auction happen every year is remarkable,” JMCC CEO Jennifer Jovanovski said in a news release. She thanked the Stannard family, Harrow Fair, the Colchester South and Harrow Agricultural Society, volunteers, pie makers, bidders and others involved in the fundraiser. The annual auction began nearly three decades ago when the Stannard family launched the event in memory of their son Todd, who was born with spina bifida and received support through Red Cross programs, a predecessor of JMCC. The inaugural auction raised $350. Mark and Lisa Stannard and their sons, Philip and Owen, continue to lead the event, which has now raised $709,322 for JMCC since its inception. “Seeing this community come together year after year is truly special,” Jovanovski said. “To raise $108,100 in one evening is extraordinary, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who played a part.” The money raised this year will support JMCC programs and services for children and youth with disabilities and special needs, as well as their families, throughout Windsor and Essex County. JMCC has provided pediatric rehabilitation services for more than 46 years to infants, children and youth with physical, neurological and developmental needs. Its programs include occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, physiotherapy, augmentative communication, therapeutic recreation, seating and mobility, school-based rehabilitation and autism services. The centre says the annual pie auction has become a major source of community support while continuing to honour Todd Stannard’s legacy.
