A pair of non-profit organizations will split thousands of dollars raised through the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser.
The Mustard Seed and Red Deer Food Bank hosted the family-friendly walk on Feb. 24, with more than 150 Central Albertans participating in below-zero temperatures.
The Food Bank supplies food to food banks in Blackfalds, Innisfail, Lacombe, Olds, Ponoka, Rocky Mountain House, Rimbey, Sylvan Lake, Stettler, and more, as well as to agencies like The Mustard Seed, Potter’s Hands, Women’s Outreach, and the Boy’s and Girl’s Club (BGC).
“We’re here to raise money for the hungry, hurting, and homeless in our community,” said Mitch Thomson, Red Deer Food Bank executive director.
“The Red Deer Food Bank and the Mustard Seed are both celebrating 40th anniversaries – it’s the Mustard Seed’s 40th year in the province and the Red Deer Food Bank’s 40th in the city. Today we’ve come together to make a difference for people who are struggling.”
The Red Deer event featured two- and five-kilometre walks – more than $35,000 was raised. There were numerous Coldest Night of the Year walks happening across the country on Feb. 24, with 100 per cent of the proceeds from each event going towards local charities.
The Coldest Night of the Year has raised more than $75 million across 190 Canadian communities since 2011.
“This is a significant fundraiser for both of our organizations,” said Thomson.
“One in five Albertans today are struggling in some way with food insecurity. At the food bank, we’re seeing twice as many people as we did three or four years ago. A fundraiser like this at a time other than Christmas is really big for us – having events like this throughout the year will allow us to have our shelves a little fuller.”
Thomson said winters in Alberta can be a dangerous time for those experiencing homelessness.
“When you’re cold, you’re hungry and without shelter, it’s extremely difficult. This is a small way to get a sense of what it’s like to be out in the cold and it’s all for a good cause,” he said.
“We’ve got young people here, we’ve got people with salt-and-pepper hair – people from all walks of life are out here contributing. It’s a fun festival-like environment too. It’s really powerful.”
For more information on the Red Deer Food Bank, visit www.reddeerfoodbank.com. For more information on The Mustard Seed, visit www.theseed.ca.