(Photo: submitted by Youth Impact Moncton)
Thousands of Canadians will walk on Saturday, February 26 to support youth wanting to get our of the cold.
The Coldest Night of the year event raises funds to help youth between the ages of 16 to 24, who are hungry, hurting and homeless.
Executive Director for Youth Impact in Moncton Mel Kennah says nationally it also puts a spotlight on the issue of homlessness, “Everybody can be vulnerable to that. Families can be susceptible to it. Individuals who have been highly successful can be susceptible to it as well. So, all kinds of different factors contributing to how someone can be in this situation.”
Over 5000 teams across Canada are taking part, that includes over 280 walkers in the Moncton region, and 162 in Saint John.
Teams in Moncton have raised over $121,000 so far, and over $57, 000 has been donated in Saint John.
“Nationwide, there are over 5000 teams that are participating in this event. One of the teams in Moncton is being led by Ian Franklin. We have around 15 or 16 members on our team. We have raised, over $60 thousand dollars so far,” Kennah says. That is the most raised by any team across the country so far this year.
Funds raised in Moncton will support Youthquest central and youth transitional housing.
Organizations in 149 communities across the country benefit from this cross Canada event.
For more information, on where your local walk is being held, visit the Coldest Night of the Year website.
Since 2011, the Coldest Night of the Year has raised over $43,500,000 in 149 communities across Canada.
