It may not have been the coldest night of the year in Southampton but as blustery winds blew across Lake Huron into Southampton, for those participating in the Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY), it felt as though it was.
The fundraising event is a winterrific family-friendly fundraising walk in support of local charities that takes place across Canada.
In Saugeen Shores, the event was hosted by the Southampton Rotary Club in partnership with the United Way of Bruce Grey to raise funds to help the homeless, hungry and hurting people in the region. The United Way’s core priorities are “From Poverty to Possibility” and this event funds essential programs that tackle food insecurity, utility assistance, homelessness, and the provision of school supplies for students from low-income families.
With the support of the Southampton Rotary Club, the funds raised in CNOY support individuals and families in Saugeen Shores and Saugeen First Nation who are facing the challenges of poverty. The demand for assistance has surged—food bank usage has doubled, and over 600 people are currently on the waitlist for housing in the region.
The event began in Rotary Hall where many volunteers helped out as almost 200 individuals and 33 teams registered and, before the walk even began, the fundraising goal of $50,000 had already been surpassed.
For larger view, click on image
Mayor Luke Charbonneau opened the event with statistics of the homeless issue in Ontario saying that, if something isn’t done by 2035, there will be more than 250,000 homeless people. “But the future isn’t written yet and that doesn’t need to be the reality … we have people working hard across the province such as Francesca Dobbin of the United Way that do incredible work. Last year alone, the County of Bruce working with the YMCA provided 10,000 nights of shelter to people who were experiencing homelessness in the County of Bruce.”
To see how the teams and individuals did when it came to fundraising visit the
Saugeen Shores Scoreboard.
