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.

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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.