The Coldest Night of the Year is coming to Timmins.
The fundraiser slated for Feb. 24 is supporting the Anti-Hunger Coalition Timmins (ACT) and will have teams walk a 2, 5 or 10-kilometre route, followed by a light meal.
“Coldest Night of the Year is a national event to raise awareness of hungry, homeless and hurting people across Canada and also locally, and to raise funds for organizations in those areas,” explained Jennifer Vachon, Anti-Hunger Coalition Timmins executive director.
This is the first year that the event is being held in Timmins.
“It’s really the perfect event for us in so many ways,” she said.
Last month, the charitable organization was working to get the word out through personal networks and community partners.
“This month is going to be a big push. This is where we really need to see teams register on the website and recruit volunteers,” she said.
The goal for the Coldest Night of the Year is to have 20 teams and raise $30,000.
So far, seven teams have signed up.
There are two ways for people to participate.
You can register a team and commit to a fundraising minimum — for youth ages 11 to 17 the minimum is $75 and for people 18 years and older it’s $150. Or, you can pay the $25 registration fee to participate without fundraising.
Volunteers are also needed on the night of the event to marshal the walk route, drive the route, and hand out drinks and snacks at the rest stop.
Everyone is encouraged to participate.
“It allows Timmins community members to connect to the issues surrounding poverty, such as hunger and homelessness, on a deeper level and to be empowered to do something about it within their personal networks, and to have fun while doing it,” she said. .
The money raised through Coldest Night of the Year will support ACT’s programming to increase food security in the area.
The main programs for ACT are the Good Food Box, collective cooking and community gardens. All are open to everyone in the community.
Vachon noted that the South Porcupine Food Bank purchases 10 Good Food Boxes every month, while a local women’s shelter gets five. She said there is always get feedback about how the people accessing the fresh food look forward to it.
ACT was also part of the Feed it Forward program, which saw people get vouchers from the Timmins Food Bank that they could bring to the market to use.
“It’s through programs like this that we’re able to get healthy foods to more people in our community,” she said.
The walk route is also helping raise awareness of some of the groups giving back in the community.
Vachon said it starts at the Lord's Kitchen, and will bring people by Project Love, the Porcupine Health Unit, First Baptist Church, Yo Mobile, and more.
To register as a participant or volunteer for Coldest Night of the Year, visit here. The registration fee increases to $40 Feb. 19.
If you want to participate and raise money, but don’t have people in your network to join with, you can sign on to the Anti-Hunger Coalition Timmins team.
For any questions, you can contact Vachon at 705-288-9701 or email [email protected].
