ESTEVAN - The Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) offers residents the chance to have some fun with their friends and family, while also helping others in need.
Choose Life Ministry is once again partnering with the CNOY Canada-wide fundraiser to generate some funds for the local program. The event will be held on Feb. 26.
"The Coldest Night of the Year is a really fun event that we hosted last year for the very first time. It's actually a nationwide event. It features a two-kilometre or a five-kilometre walk, and it's to raise funds for the hurting, the homeless and the hungry in our communities," explained Shelly Boyes, executive director, fundraising with Choose Life Ministry.
"As a group, we run the Choose Life Homestead for Hope, we are (based) in Gainsborough. We raise funds for that program. And it's a program that helps young women who are struggling with life controlling issues, anything from drug abuse, to eating disorders, to severe anxiety and depression, effects of abuse, anything like that. And so that's what the funds are raised for."
The in-person walk will be an outdoor event, with some hot beverages and snacks provided at the end at the Estevan Gospel Chapel at 1202 Second Street. And that's where they will be launching the walk from.
"It's just a very short event. Check-in is at 4 p.m. The Walk launches at 5 p.m. And then people will choose either to do a 2K or 5k route, and those will all be mapped out very specifically. And they will have volunteers along the route to help people make sure that they stay on the correct route. And then the route closes at seven o'clock. But once walkers are finished their walk, they can come back and have hot drinks and lunch at the church," Boyes said.
Each participant of the walk will need to find sponsors. Last year many people joined as teams and had all members gathering sponsors for their efforts.
"We're encouraging businesses, organizations and youth groups in Estevan to get involved as well, to enter a team, then to get walkers on their team and each of those walkers then will get sponsors. And every walker who raises $150, will get a free Coldest Night of the Year toque," Boyes said.
Last year, there were nine teams with 55 walkers participating, ranging from the age of two to 75. They had 302 donors and they raised over $18,000. Some people entered the fundraiser individually.
"This year, our goal is 15 teams, 150 walkers and raising $30,000," Boyes said.
Teams can have matching outfits, carry signs, team names or symbols of their companies, compete with each other, or just partake in the event. Boyes said they hope to see people having fun.
The Choose Life Homestead for Hope offers a half-year program that helps local women get back on with their lives. Boyes said they have a lot of applications and the demand for the service they provide is "definitely there." The money raised through CNOY will be used directly in the delivery of their program.
The registration for the event can happen online at cnoy.org/Estevan.
If someone would like to help out with the event and volunteer on the day, they can do so online as well.
"It's not a huge commitment; the volunteers are just needed for that day, the day of the event. But we can always use more volunteers. And we would have a little bit of training for them as well," she said.
For more information or with any questions people can reach out to Boyes at 306-485-7590.
"We still have a lot of time before the event, and if people are interested, they can reach out to us. We're still looking for some sponsors for a photo booth and a few other things," Boyes said.
