Caledon gearing up for Coldest Night of the Year in support of CCS

January 5, 2023 · 0 Comments

Winter walk will support those experiencing hurt, hunger and homelessness

By Zachary Roman

Fundraising has begun for the annual Coldest Night of the Year walk in Caledon.

The Caledon walk is happening for the fourth time on February 25 and is being hosted in support of Caledon Community Services (CCS). The walk in Caledon will be one of many happening across Canada to support charities that help people experiencing hurt, hunger and homelessness.

The walk will begin at the Caledon East Community Complex at 4 p.m. when check-in opens. At 5 p.m., there will be opening remarks and an official send off. At 6 p.m., after the walk, a light meal will be served and the event will wrap up by 7 p.m. in the evening. People unable to make it to the February 25 event are still encouraged to fundraise and do their own walk offsite.

Those wanting to get involved with Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) can create their own fundraising team or join an existing one. Several teams have already registered online to fundraise and participate in the Caledon walk at cnoy.org/location/caledon, such as Dig A Little Deeper Psychotherapy & Counselling, Unifor Local 1285, and Starbucks Bolton. All types of teams are welcome, whether they’re a group of residents, a community organization, a business, a faith group, or something else.

Donna Cragg, CCS’ Director of Communications and Marketing, said the team fundraising aspect of the event makes it really fun. She participates each year with a team of friends from Terra Cotta, and said it’s fun to compete against other teams to see who can raise the most money.

On the CNOY website, fundraising leaderboards are updated live so people can see how their team stacks up to others.

“CCS got involved because CNOY, their focus is on poverty… and Caledon Community Services is the agency in Caledon that is dealing primarily with helping people struggling with the effects of poverty,” said Cragg.

She said the CNOY walk helps people empathize with those experiencing homelessness as it gets them outside and in the elements at a very cold time of the year.

CCS has set a goal of raising $100,000 from all the teams participating in the walk, and it’s a goal Cragg thinks the Caledon community is more than capable of reaching. Walkers who raise $150 and above ($75 and above for those under 18) will receive a CNOY toque. Cragg said at last year’s walk the Caledon Fire and Emergency Services team was amazing and that their impact on the event inspired others.

“People pay attention and they respond… it inspires them to get involved too,” said Cragg.

The 2023 CNOY walk in Caledon will feature both two and five kilometre routes. Participants are encouraged to bring good waterproof shoes or boots, a water bottle, cell phone, and warm clothes. Along the walk route, there will be signage, route marshals and rest stops.

For more information on this year’s CNOY walk, interested parties can visit cnoy.org/location/caledon.