Helping the hungry, homeless and hurting
Coldest Night of the Year walk surpasses goal in Kentville
It was not actually the coldest temperature for the Coldest Night of the Year 2020 walk in the Annapolis Valley, but the spirit of the event continued to warm hearts.
The deep freeze earlier in the week gave way to sun and seasonal temperatures hovering around the zero-degree mark as the walk began in Kentville.
The Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY), an annual familyfriendly fundraiser supporting charities serving hungry, homeless and hurting people in the Annapolis Valley, was a huge success both in participation and donations again this year.
At the end of the evening on Feb 22, CNOY Annapolis Valley had raised $77,080, surpassing the goal of $75,000, with 291 registered walkers, 59 teams participating and many volunteers assisting in making the event happen. While most donations came from areas within the Annapolis Valley, some came from as far away as the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia.
John Andrew, executive cirector of Open Arms Resource Centre Society, spoke to the crowd gathered in the Kentville Fire Hall just prior to the walk.
“Eight years ago, we were looking for a way to create awareness and to generate some funding for Open Arms. Although we were initially told our region was too small to support this kind of event, our generous people have proven that was not the case. When we first hosted Coldest Night of the Year in 2013, many people were not aware of the need for emergency shelter in our region, or the various supports being provided by Open Arms. The walk is our largest fundraiser and is essential for maintaining our current level of service,” said Andrew.
“CNOY 2020 was about the same size as last year, with about 400 toques given to walkers and event volunteers, with fundraising coming in slightly higher,” said Andrew.
Open Arms is mostly volunteer driven and complimented by a small but dedicated parttime staff. Outreach programs include the Resource Centre in Kentville, a drop-in centre in Berwick, the Inn from the Cold shelter program in churches, Rural Food Delivery Program, housing options, job assistance, and a new outreach program in Kingston.
Helen Opitz, a Grade 12 student at Horton High School, walked with a team from her church, Port Williams United Baptist.
“I like to support the community and especially people who are hurting and homeless. This is my fourth year walking. It’s a tradition for me now. It’s a great cause and I get to be outside and walk with awesome people.”
Saint Joe’s Snow Bunnies, a group of walkers from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, in Kentville wore bunny ears for the event.
“All the money that is raised goes to help the homeless and those in need. For me, it’s part of my call to follow Jesus,” said Ann Hazelton, from St. Joseph’s church.
Maetia Contant and Emily Hollis, Grade 8 students at Central Kings, walked with a group of students and staff from the school.
“This is my third time doing the walk. It’s such a good cause. We saw someone on the road coming over and I thought – that’s who I’m walking for,” said Contant.
“It helps to raise awareness about the homeless and makes us more aware of what it’s like to be out in the cold. Most of us live in warm houses with plenty of food and don’t even think about it,” said Hollis.
Donations will continue to be accepted at www.cnoy.org/ annapolisvalley for three more weeks.
More information on Open Arms can be found at www. openarms.ca.