Coldest Night of the Year walk Feb. 22
Event raises funds to help those homeless, hungry and hurting
Tri County Women's Centre and SHYFT Youth Services encourage Yarmouth-area residents to bundle up and raise cold, hard cash for the Coldest Night of the Year walk. A family-friendly winter fundraising walk for Yarmouth's homeless, hungry and hurting, the event will take place Saturday, Feb. 22.
Thousands of people will be taking part in walks in an anticipated 100 cities across Canada.
“By walking together in the chill of the night, participants will better understand the experience of being on the streets during a cold Canadian winter, while raising funds to aid the work of Tri County Women's Centre & SHYFT Youth Services in providing much-needed support to members of our community,” says a release promoting this year’s event.
This is the second time Yarmouth hosts a Coldest Night of the Year walk. Last year more than 70 people took part in the Yarmouth walk, raising over $10,000. This year’s fundraising goal for the Yarmouth event is $20,000.
The Yarmouth walk begins and ends at NSCC Burridge, 372 Pleasant St., where walkers will register, turn in the results of their fundraising
efforts and return at the end of the evening for a warm celebration meal.
Registration for the walk starts at 4 p.m., with opening ceremonies at 5 p.m. and the walk beginning at 5:15.
Donning iconic yellow toques, participants will walk a two-, five- or 10-kilometre route, and will warm up with toasty drinks at rest stops along the way.
Organizers expect about 75 to 100 walkers and 13 to 15 teams, including staff and friends of Tri County Women's Centre & SHYFT Youth Services and NSCC Burridge. Community sponsors include Spears & MacLeod Pharmasave and NSCC Burridge.
Tri-County Women's Centre & SHYFT Youth Services have been serving Yarmouth for 20-plus and nine years, respectively, and the funds raised in the Coldest Night of the Year will benefit their clients at a time of the year known historically for low levels of giving, organizers say.