Submitted by Nelson CARES
Coldest Night of the Year is a national fundraiser that took place on Feb. 20 in 149 cities and towns across Canada.
This year marked the seventh time that Nelson CARES Society hosted the event and early on it was announced that it would be a fully virtual event complete with participants creating ‘bubble’ fundraising teams that they walk with.
Nelson CARES was blown away by this year’s response. Right from the start, both participants and sponsors signed on to support this event that raises funds to support our most vulnerable neighbours.
Numbers were up across all aspects of the fundraiser including teams, donors, walkers, sponsors and most of all funds.
Nelson raised more funds than ever before with the CNOY event. Nelson has always stepped up in a big way for a small town and at the time of writing, the local total is $92,000. Nationally, Nelson ranks 32 for money raised, beating much larger populations like Kelowna, Burnaby, and Calgary Downtown.
Locally raised funds go to support the Nelson CARES Society’s Ready for Home program that operates out of Ward Street Place and works to support those who have experienced homelessness as they transition to a housed environment.
“This year, Nelson’s response to CNOY was truly amazing,” said Ron Little, Nelson CARES board chair said. “Nelsonites understand that all the services we provide at Nelson CARES are by the community and for the community. CNOY is a tangible way each one of us can get involved. What more can we say but thank you.”
This year’s CNOY blue toque with a yellow pompom could be seen all over town, from Uphill to the rails to trails, to Lakeside Park and more as folks joined their bubbles to walk and experience some cold time on the streets in solidarity with our most vulnerable neighbours.
Nelson CARES would like to thank everyone who helped out this year to make this virtual fundraising event so spectacular – the team captains, the walkers, the sponsors, the donors, the numerous businesses who hosted donation jars, and Kootenay Bakery Cafe Co-op for their 400-plus cookies donation.
Online donations are still being accepted until the end of March so folks who didn’t make their fundraising goal are encouraged to keep going.
Almost all of the CNOY 2020 sponsors signed on early to support this event despite the fact there wasn’t going to be an in-person launch.
Nelson CARES Society wishes to extent enormous gratitude to all of the CNOY 2021 sponsors. Valhalla Pure Nelson returned for the third year as lead sponsor and was joined by Nelson and District Credit Union, Nelson Home Building Centre and Organic Matter (OM Foods).
This year’s amazing event sponsors were Derek Diener and Melaine Ward with Dominion Lending, Kootenay Co-op, Kootenay Glass and Mirror, Cover Architecture, Ellenwood Homes, Studio 9 Architecture Planning, the Blindman, Mistiso’s Place Vacation Rentals, Cartolina, Inland Allcare, North Mountain Construction, Nelson Ford, Urban Legends, Buddy’s Place, Steer Environmental Associates Ltd., Bowick Electric, Rona Maglio Building Center and NSDA Architects.
For more information about the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser or to make a donation, please visit www.cnoy.org/nelson or contact CNOY co-ordinator Stephanie Myers, 250-505-7410 or cnoy@nelsoncares.ca.