It was cold ... but worth it
Awareness, and more money than expected, raised by Ticat star Chris Van Zeyl
Chris Van Zeyl realized it would be nippy, but not quite that nippy.
“It floors you just how cold it is in the morning,” said the Hamilton Tiger-Cats all-star tackle after spending Friday night in his car to promote and help fund United Way Halton & Hamilton’s Sleepless in Our Cities campaign.
“And it only got down to -9. We’ve had nights where it’s far colder than that and even in my car, protected from the wind, I felt uncomfortable and cold. There are people sleeping on the streets having the wind going through them all night. And they do it night after night.”
At six-foot-six and 300-plus pounds Van Zeyl is too big for the back seat of his 2012 Dodge Charger, so he squeezed in behind the steering wheel. It was already frigid when he got into the car parked outside his Burlington home at 10 p.m. and he stayed until 6 a.m. Saturday without ever activating the heater.
Van Zeyl wore good mitts and loose layers of long johns, sweats, and a winter coat, but instead of using a sleeping bag — “which would have been warmer” — he wrapped himself in blankets, to provide a little freedom of movement and to more closely resemble the experience that others have to endure every night.
He left the vents of the sun roof open for humidity release and a bit of fresh air.
“I knew it would be cold, but it was a little more uncomfortable than I thought it would be,” he told the Spectator. “My quality of sleep was fairly poor and I woke up three times to move around just to adjust my body and get a little more comfortable.
“When got up in the morning, there was just a sheet of ice on the inside of all the windows. It was beautiful and spectacular, but it made you realize how much moisture escapes your body through breathing and sweat.”
By early Monday afternoon, the CFL’s 2019 Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman had raised $7,291 in pledges, exceeding his target of $5,000 by more than 35 per cent (donations online at t.co/Pi6lTJrj90) with more likely still to come in.
“I have a huge feeling of gratitude that people put that faith in you,” he said. “That they saw this act as something worth donating to during these tough times when everyone is struggling financially.”