Burger giveaway honours memory of man who ‘just liked to help the world’

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This article was published 09/03/2023 (960 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The legacy of a young father who died unexpectedly last month is living on through the efforts of his family, who gathered downtown this week to help feed people experiencing homelessness.

Robert Raymond Swan-McKay loved loaded cheeseburgers from Super Boy’s restaurant and helping people in need.

In an effort to put the two together, the 25-year-old Winnipeg man purchased more than 300 meals from the Main Street burger joint in recent years, handing them out to people on the street.

When he approached restaurant co-owner Georgia Chouzouris in 2020 asking to order 100 of the signature “Super Boys,” she thought he must be joking.

“He said, ‘I can go anywhere in the city to purchase something to feed the homeless, but I enjoy a good Super Boy burger. If I’m going to give something to someone, I want them to enjoy it,’” Chouzouris said, recounting her first meeting with Swan-Mckay.

“He was a very good person to do something like that. Very kindhearted.”

Swan-McKay returned twice in the following years, ordering 100 burgers each time to give away. During that time, he also distributed hundreds of pizzas, socks and winter gear.

He died Feb. 4, after an ongoing battle with addiction and mental health issues, family said. Toxicology results from an investigation into his death are not yet available, said mother Teri McKay.

Tuesday would have marked Swan-McKay’s 26th birthday, so his wife, three children, step-father and McKay celebrated by placing an order of 100 burgers from Super Boy’s.

After distributing the meals, they went together to visit his grave site.

“It was great, but also heart-sore,” McKay said.

Growing up in the North End was challenging for Swan-McKay, who had interactions with violence and was shot in the leg several years ago. To mitigate the pain, he began taking prescription opiates, which ultimately led to an addiction, she said.

He was able to access treatment and seemed to have beaten his addiction, but his mental health worsened and he was unable to access adequate support.

McKay said her son’s death revealed shortfalls with Manitoba’s mental health resources.

Swan-McKay wanted to create a better life for himself, his family and others in his community, said widow Anna Nguyen.

Despite his struggles, he maintained a good sense of humour, always offering a smile and a helping hand, she said.

“He just liked to help the world,” Nguyen said. “He just wanted everybody to be free. To be great. To keep on doing good deeds and support one another.”

Nguyen said she and their children — ages one, five and eight — will continue to donate food in Swan-McKay’s honour.

McKay hopes to work with Super Boy’s to develop a special recipe for a “Robert Burger,” to be sold annually on his birthday.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca