Wood's Homes Lethbridge will be hosting their Coldest Night of the Year walk at Henderson Lake. (Photo: LNN)

By Sarah Jones

Coldest Night of the Year to host two walks in Lethbridge

Jan 11, 2023 | 3:47 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – It’s an opportunity for people across Canada to participate in a national movement that takes place at the same time on February 25, 2023.

The Coldest Night of the Year walk and fundraiser is back for the 12th year and is set to pop up in nearly 170 communities throughout the country.

The initiative is aimed at raising money for local charities and non-profits who serve the homeless, the hungry and the hurt, and gets community members to walk in the cold for either two or five kilometres.

In Lethbridge, there will be two walks, which will support either the Streets Alive Mission or Wood’s Homes Lethbridge.

Wood’s Homes operates the Youth Emergency Shelter in town and runs multiple programs in their facility to support children’s mental health.

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The walk for Woods will take patrons around Henderson Lake for a full or half loop, depending on the length an individual has signed up for.

As for Streets Alive Mission, their walk will be wrapping around the downtown core as the organization felt it was fitting to host it in the area where most of their clients frequent.

Streets Alive Mission provides numerous programs aimed at helping the vulnerable population access physical, emotional, and social supports.

Director of Fund Development at Streets Alive Mission, Jennifer Lepko, told LNN, “The money raised from the Coldest Night of the Year walk goes to support those individuals on the street and help support some of those outreach services that we’ve always provided here at Streets Alive Mission.”

In the past two years, Streets Alive hosted their event at Land-O-Lakes Golf and Country Club in Coaldale as they navigated COVID-19 health restrictions.

They were able to stagger groups throughout the day in order to safely follow through with the annual event, but Lepko noted how excited they are to go back to the traditional format in 2023.

“We’re excited about being able to use Festival Square,” explained Lepko. “It’s a nice addition to the city and we’re hoping that we’ll be able to support some of those downtown businesses as well that have been here and worked hard, especially during the pandemic.”

This year, Streets Alive is estimated to have about 250 walkers and is aiming to reach a goal of $75,000 in donations.

Lepko continued, “We encourage people to sign up. You can do it individually, you can get a team together, you also have the option of walking virtually still, so people can raise money and walk on their own. Anyone who raises $150 in sponsorships gets an amazing toque.”

Those looking to sign up for either walk or get more information can head to the Coldest Night of the Year website.

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