The Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) fundraiser will return to communities across Canada on February 28, with participants in Muskoka walking to raise funds and awareness for organizations supporting those experiencing hunger, poverty, and homelessness.
This year’s event includes 222 participating locations nationwide, including Huntsville and Gravenhurst for the Muskoka region, each raising funds for a local charitable organization.
Huntsville will fundraise in support of The Table Soup Kitchen Foundation, a non-profit organization serving the region through a range of programs, including a food bank, soup kitchen, exchange store, and a men’s hostel.
Gravenhurst participants will raise funds for Gravenhurst Against Poverty (GAP), a community-powered organization that supports residents facing poverty by providing meals, food hampers, transportation assistance, and wellness programs.
“Our vision is to live in a community where every person has the opportunity to thrive,” said Beth Houston, Chair of GAP.
According to Houston, twenty per cent of Gravenhurst’s population currently lives below the poverty line, and the costs for GAP have gone up 400 per cent over the past five years, due to rising food costs and the growing demand for services.
“We are now getting families with two incomes who can’t make ends meet and are now reaching out to us to get extra food,” she said. “The biggest thing we offer is food, because if you don’t know where your food is coming from, you can’t think of anything else.”
GAP is run by 265 volunteers and relies largely on food rescue from grocery stores, restaurants, and bakeries, while also spending approximately $400,000 a year on groceries. CNOY raises around one third of GAP’s budget annually, making it their largest fundraising event of the year.
Participants can register to walk, volunteer, donate, or fundraise individually or as part of a team. Walks will begin and end at each community’s respective charitable organization and will include opening remarks and a light meal. Walkers can choose between a two-kilometre or five-kilometre route.
Houston said volunteers and local sponsors have contributed greatly to the event, with Gravenhurst businesses donating food and drinks, and Boston Pizza Gravenhurst hosting the after party.
Gravenhurst has 44 teams and 147 walkers registered as of February 18, having raised more than $107,000 toward its $185,000 goal, making them currently fourteenth place in all of Canada. In Huntsville, 25 teams and 73 walkers have registered, and more than $51,000 has been raised toward The Table’s $110,000 fundraising goal.
More information about the event or registration details can be found on the Coldest Night of the Year website.
