Walkers will complete two or five kilometre loops through downtown Nanaimo for the 2023 Coldest Night of the Year event, supporting the Island Crisis Care Society. (Coldest Night of the Year)

By Alex Rawnsley

huge fundraiser

‘Do something tangible:’ Nanaimo Coldest Night driving home reality of homelessness

Feb 14, 2023 | 5:32 AM

NANAIMO — It might be just a glimpse at what life is like on the streets, but organizers hope it represents more support and services to those locally living rough.

The annual Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser for the Island Crisis Care Society (ICCS) runs Saturday, Feb. 25 at Maffeo Sutton Park, involving two or five kilometre walks around Nanaimo’s downtown.

Event director Elspeth Erickson told NanaimoNewsNOW the goal is to not only raise money, but highlight the myriad of challenges those experiencing homeless face daily.

“It’s really an opportunity for all of us to come together, to walk and do something tangible about issues of homelessness and raise money for programs which really help people who have experienced homelessness in our community.”

This year’s event follows in the footsteps of a record gathering in 2022.

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Around $100,000 was raised, roughly triple the normal amount, and allowed ICCS to create two new program offerings for their clients and allowing the society to be more flexible in its program delivery.

“One was our employability program, Project Rise, which gives folks who have experienced homelessness the chance to get up to six weeks of pre-employment training then have an eight week work placement to really kick start their avenue back to independence,” Erickson said.

A second program focused on life skills for those who’ve experienced homelessness.

Although just under two weeks out, Erickson noted the long term forecast is calling for snow on the event evening.

She said it would give an extra layer of reality to participants heading out and come after a rain-logged event last year.

“It was really a powerful moment because people were wet and cold through and through, but as they passed through our downtown core they saw people who were sitting under eaves of buildings who were in the same condition and who wouldn’t be able to go back home and warm up afterwards.”

Coldest Night of the Year is run in 183 communities across the country, with the Island Crisis Care Society handling Nanaimo’s event for the last 13 years.

Roughly 260 people have signed up to take part representing 47 different teams.

More information, including donating and registration is available on the event website.

A five kilometre loop travels through downtown Nanaimo, and was a suitably soggy affair in 2022. (Coldest Night of the Year)

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