More than $70K raised for area programs to help end homelessness
NANAIMO — Hundreds of people briefly experienced what it’s like to live on the streets in miserable winter conditions.
The weather turned poor Saturday night during the Coldest Night of the Year event, where roughly 360 people walked either two, five or 10 kilometres in Nanaimo or Parksville.
Event organizer Corrie Corfield said the mix of rain and snow forced participants to trudge through the snow and truly experience bone-chilling temperatures.
“It made people realize the importance of what we were doing on Saturday. They talked about what it meant for them, about the realities our city is facing in terms of homelessness and poverty and how close that is for so many people.”