Coast2Coast: Darcy’s Run

On July 27, 2026, Darcy Eygun began the unfathomable: become the first person to run across Nova Scotia, from Cape North all the way down to Baccaro Point. In total, this meant over 1,000 kilometers, a distance he completed in just 23 days. The best part of all? The entire run was support of Feed Nova Scotia.

Last year, Darcy came across a statistic that said Nova Scotia had the lowest GDP per capita of any Canadian province or US state. It got him thinking about where Nova Scotians are being hit the hardest.

“While I know that Nova Scotia is obviously struggling and we’ve historically been a province that’s been quite poor, I didn’t know it was this bad. After seeing this, I asked myself where is this hitting Nova Scotians the hardest? And I thought groceries. Obviously, prices are going up and they’re very expensive and will only go up even more. So, I thought for a province that has given me so much, I should give back. And while I’m not a millionaire [and] I can’t donate large amounts of money to feed Nova Scotia, one thing I can do is run.”

Darcy wasn’t wrong with his statement – Nova Scotians are struggling: More than 26% of Nova Scotians live in food insecure households, with almost 40% of children facing the same reality. Food banks operating within Feed Nova Scotia’s member network supported 26,631 households in 2025, with almost 90% of visits being attributed to the cost of living – meaning food, housing, and utilities.

Although Darcy’s fundraising idea started with running, it’s turned into so much more. Throughout the 23-day run (and beyond), Darcy has taken the time to meet with food banks across the province, learning more about their communities, their struggles, their wins, and the services they provide.

The reality is that a majority of the food banks across the province are volunteer run and rely heavily on community support. Because of this, hours and days of operation can be limited, along with resources and offerings.

“What became so clear to me touring these food banks is just how stretched they are. The need hasn’t gone back down to pre-COVID levels, it’s actually grown since. Yet, what I saw everywhere I went was this incredible resourcefulness: teams constantly finding new, innovative ways to better serve Nova Scotians with the resources they have. But I have to say, the thing that struck me most was the volunteers. So many of them are retired folks giving their time to fight food insecurity in their communities. They’re the backbone of this whole network, and they deserve so much more recognition than they get.”

Members of the food banking community weren’t the only people Darcy had the chance to connect with; he also spent time with Members of Parliament, a mayor or two, and other community members and groups across the province.

We also welcomed him here at Feed Nova Scotia just after the 700 kilometer mark, where Darcy got to visit the warehouse and chat a bit with some of the people who make it all happen. He learned not only more about the growing food insecurity crisis in Nova Scotia, but also about the work we’re doing to build a food secure future.

“The best part of Nova Scotia are the Nova Scotians. And to get to meet so many Nova Scotians, speak to many – so many have opened up about their struggles, and so in that sense, it’s been so great to be with other Nova Scotians and feel their support and love.”

It’s a testament to the work done not only at Feed Nova Scotia and food banks across the province, but also to the community on our side in the fight against food insecurity. It’s because of people like Darcy, and everyone else – from volunteers to donors and everyone in between – that we’re able to work towards building a food secure future.

All in all, this amazing fundraiser reached not only an incredible running milestone, but also an incredible fundraising milestone, with a total of ____ raised in support of Nova Scotia.

A huge thank you and congratulations Darcy for completing his run and for choosing to support us!