Coldest Night Walk warms the community

NEWS RELEASE

ST. VINCENT PLACE

SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – Warm hearts and rosy cheeks graced the Sault’s downtown on this past Saturday evening for a great cause.

The second annual Coldest Night of the Year event, in support of St. Vincent Place, saw a turnout of over 160 walkers who together raised $40,000 and awareness for the homeless, hurting and hungry in Sault Ste. Marie.

Participants of all ages took part in two-, five- and ten kilometer walks around the city’s downtown core on a night with very little snow, wind and a beautiful sunset. Volunteers lined the streets guiding to warming stations located at the Seniors Drop-In Centre and the Summit Community Church. 

The event raised funds for St. Vincent Place’s men’s shelter, food bank, soup kitchen and thrift store.

Though this year’s goal was to raise $50,000 for the organization, the money gathered will give strong support the ongoing efforts of St. Vincent Place to stock the shelves at the food bank and maintain consistent operation of the 24/7 men’s shelter.

Donations will be accepted until March 14th, 2014 through the Coldest Night of the Year website

The Coldest Night of the Year local organizing team would like to thank the kindness of this year’s sponsors; Local2, Dawson & Keenan Insurance, Assante Wealth Management, Soo Mill Build All, the Seniors Drop-In Centre, The Summit Community Church, Superior Home Bakery and Tim Horton’s. A special thank you to all of the volunteers who braved the cold with us for this extraordinary event.

To learn more about the weekend’s exciting event, please visit Local2.ca for its coverage

About coldest night of the year

The Coldest Night of the Year is a fantastically fun, family-friendly walking fundraiser that raises money for the hungry, homeless and hurting in 65 communities across Canada.

The 2, 5 and 10km WALK is held on Saturday, February 22rd, 2014, and provides participants the opportunity to experience a hint of the challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness while raising much needed revenue for their favourite local charity.

Since 2011 the Coldest Night of the Year has raised $2.4 million dollars through the tireless efforts of each of our well known and well respected location partners (charities). More information can be found here

About St. Vincent Place

St. Vincent Place is a creation of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for the community of Sault Ste. Marie in response to a call for an entity to provide shelter for men over 18 years of age.

St. Vincent Place is a non-profit organization, dedicated to assisting members of the community with basic needs and skill development.

The four components of the St. Vincent Place services are the men’s shelter, food bank, soup kitchen and thrift store.

More information can be found here

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