Community walk supports counselling services at The Center
The Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) community walk took place in Swift Current to raise funds for free youth and family counselling services at The Center.
The 4th annual CNOY walk was hosted by the Swift Current Community Youth Initiative (SCCYI), Feb. 24.
The event was supported by 36 teams and raised over $62,000. This represents around 73 per cent of the goal of $85,000. Fundraising will therefore continue to get closer to the target and donations are still accepted until March 31.
“We’re hoping we can get a few more dollars in, but the big part of this event is the lead up to it and getting people to get on board, put their teams in and come to the day of the walk,” SCCYI Executive Director Nathan Wiebe said. “So anything we get above what we see right now is definitely beyond what we’re expecting, but we’re just really grateful for what we’ve been able to receive thus far.”
Some teams completed their walk before the scheduled day if they were unable to be there. The Feb. 24 event was attended by over 150 people, which included about 130 walkers and 25 volunteers.
Participants walked along a marked route over distances of two or five kilometres, with the start and finish at The Center in downtown Swift Current.
“It was just a really fun atmosphere,” he said. “We’re grateful to have another year in the books and to continue to learn from that and take it forward to whatever we need to do with that next year to make it function even better.”
CNOY is a national fundraising initiative that creates opportunities for nonprofit organizations in communities across Canada to organize an annual walk in February.
It has now become an integral part of the fundraising activities by the SCCYI.
“We want to bring our community together, we want to have fun with people, we want to really represent The Center in a way that stands up for what we believe and what we think,” he said. “We feel the Coldest Night of the Year is a real benefit to us when it comes
to everything. We see the real advantage of bringing an entire community together, whether it’s supporting through funds or walking or whatever that might be. We have a really good opportunity to do something good We really like the fundraiser and we plan on continuing to do it.”
Wiebe noted that the event enables them to raise funds for an important part of the work done at The Center, which aims to provide in the need for mental health supports in the community.
The free youth and family counselling services are provided by three counsellors.
“It’s going to be very helpful for us,” he said about the funds raised.
“It’s going to go right towards our counselling program and our counselling is such a needed one. When it comes down to it, we don’t get funding for it. So we have to work really hard in order to fundraise for that to continue to provide that for free.”
March 7-Swift Current
Join the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) on March 7 at the Living Sky Casino for a lunch event featuring guest speaker Greg Johnson. Greg will share images and stories from his storm chasing experience to show the importance of planning, situational awareness and emergency preparedness to stay safe on the job and return home to tell the story. SCSA Annual General Meeting Guest Speaker Greg Johnson, Tornado Hunter; 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Register to attend by Feb. 29.
March 14-Swift Current
Cropportunities 2024: Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Sky Centre, Swift
Current.
Featured
Speakers: Tom
Wolf
- Agrimetrix
Research and Training; Matthew Krutzfeldt - Senior Fertilizer Merchant, Federated Co-op; Layton Getz - Grain Sales Manager - SWT; Kevin Hursh; Bryan Nybo - Wheatland Conservation Area; Corey Henderson – Farm Credit Canada; Jason Falk – Ag Programs Specialist, Saskatchewan Agriculture and SCIC. Cropportunities 2024 is made possible through the collaborative efforts of
Wheatland Conservation Area, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, and Pioneer Co-op Grow Team. Why Attend: Gain insights from industry leaders; Network with professionals; Stay informed about the latest agricultural trends. Registration Details: Cost: $25 (includes lunch and refreshments); Registration Deadline: Thursday, March 7. Contact for Registration: Swift Current Regional Office at 306-778-8285.
March 16-Maple Creek
Lil’ Bufloo Explorers Club: Learn about Métis Culture! for Children 12 and under Saturdays 2:00-4:00 pm. January 20, February 10, March 16. SW Oldtimers Museum, Maple Creek. All materials, snacks and books provided. For more information call Tekeyla at (306)7744158.
March 23-Shaunavon
Lil’ Bufloo Explorers Club: Learn about Métis Culture! for Children 12 and under. Saturdays 1:00-3:00 pm. January 27, February 24, March 23. Shaunavon Branch Library. All materials, snacks and books provided. For more information call Tekeyla at (306)774-4158.