Region gets ready ahead of 'Coldest Night of the Year'
One of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the region's less fortunate is about to get underway this weekend.
The 'Coldest Night of the Year' is being planned in North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins, where thousands is expected to be raised to keep institutions like Sudbury's Samaritan Centre going.
"This is how the Samaritan Centre makes most of its money. It's this Saturday, February the 25th, we have so many participants this year. It's a wonderful thing to be doing," said the centre’ executive director, Mark Dennie.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Dennie said the walk solicits participants from all walks of life, from across the city. Schools like Macleod Public School and students from school boards like Conseil Scolaire Public du Grand Nord de l'Ontario.
"We're going to have a big event down at Bell Park on Saturday, so it starts at 4 (p.m.) but if people want to come down and walk along the path and do some skating, sliding beforehand throughout the Bell Park area,” he said.
“We're going to have some rest stops, people can donate if they want along the trail, they can come in, have some coffee, some hot chocolate and see what fundraising is all about."
Dennie told CTV News this single fundraiser allows them to keep costs low for tenants like the Blue Door Soup Kitchen and the Elgin Street Mission.
Funds raised will go to New Hope Outreach Services, which in turn allows them to keep the costs low by paying utilities and maintenance.
The Samartian Centre houses food programs, shower services, Internet and also serves as a warming area on cold nights.
"This year's theme is going to be a little bit different, I'm calling it 'it's not just a walk in the park for the homeless,' because we're walking through Bell Park," he said.
"At certain stations we're going to have some stories of homeless people and how they got back on the right track. That's a big part of it, what we're doing at the Samaritan Centre and helping people who may have made a wrong decision in their life."
It's a similar situation for the organizers of the Sault Ste. Marie walk, which will go to benefitting St. Vincent Place.
"It's our largest annual fundraiser, it's a winter walk. We have participants join us here at St. Vincent Place and then they set out on a 2 or 5 kilometre week after collecting pledges to do so,” said Sara McCleary.
“After they're done their walk they come back here for a bowl of chili to warm up."
The non-profit is also home to many services in the Sault.
"St. Vincent Place operates a mens' transitional residence, a soup kitchen, thrift store, food bank and our lunches for learning program through the soup kitchen so all the funds raised through the ‘Coldest Night of the Year’ do stay here at St. Vincent Place,” McCleary told CTV News.
“We divide the funds up amongst the different programs and this year they're primarily going to go to the mens' transitional residence and the lunches for learning program. Some will go to the food bank as well."
She said their goal for the walk this year is to raise $100,000, they have beaten it the last two years and she has high hopes with how they're doing so far.
"It's a really fun event, when we come here together before the walk we'll have a face-painter and a photo booth set up," McCleary said.
"It really kind of helps drive home for people that there are people who have nowhere to go in this cold, they have no other options."
For more information on the event or how you can help, visit their website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.