Thousands of Canadians will walk this weekend to support those who are hungry, hurting, or experiencing homelessness.
The Coldest Night of the Year fundraising walk will take place in nearly 200 locations across Canada on Saturday night.
While the fundraiser is operated by Blue Sky Foundation, it is organized by local charities in each of those communities.
Mika Takamaki, charity relations with Blue Sky Foundation, said the money raised in each community goes back to those charities.
“I think one of the reasons why Coldest Night has worked so well is that when you sign up and you raise funds, your participation may actually be helping someone you know,” Takamaki said in an interview.
“It’s a little unique in that it’s continent-wide, but at the heart of Coldest Night, it’s really a local event.”
Coldest Night was first held in 2011 in two Ontario communities. Since that time, it has grown to 190 Canadian communities and raised more than $75 million.
It also expanded to the United States a couple of years ago, with 40 different events expected to take place this year.
Takamaki said in addition to raising money, the 2K and 5K walk gives people a taste of what it is like to experience homelessness in the winter.
“We know that a 5K walk is nothing like being homeless, but we also know spending an hour and a half, two hours walking in the cold gives people a chance to pause and reflect.”
You can find the event nearest you by going to the Coldest Night of the Year website.
