Campbell Riverites came out in droves again on Saturday to support one of the many organizations in our community helping to combat homelessness.
The Coldest Night of the Year walk to raise funds and awareness of the homelessness issue happens each February.
For the past three years the Campbell River event has been put on by the Campbell River and North Island Transition Society (CRNITS).
Diane Palmer with CRNITS says they were hoping to raise between $30,000 and $35,000 for the society’s programs and services during the event this year, but it’s too early to tell what the final number will be.
“It was another great turnout,” she says as she watches people file back in to the Navy League Hall downtown for homemade chili and Starbucks hot chocolate after they completed their two or five kilometre walk around downtown. “It feels like we did about the same as last year in terms of fundraising, and that was about $27,000.”
All the proceeds from the event go towards CRNITS programming, including the services they offer to the over 5,500 women who walk through the doors of the Women’s Centre each year.
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And while it is a lot of work to put on a fundraising event like this, there’s no time for the team to reflect on their accomplishment and celebrate their achievement just yet.
“We’re actually planning our first golf tournament fundraiser for Mother’s Day long weekend in May,” Palmer says, “and that’s not a lot of time to organize something, so we really need to get down to work on that.”
Thankfully, that event will be in partnership with the Comox Valley Transition Society, so they won’t have to do all the work themselves.
“They’re going to come up and work on it with us up at the Campbell River Golf and Country Club,” Palmer says, “and this will be a first-time event for either one of us, so it should be lots of fun.”
There aren’t a lot of details worked out yet in terms of registration and sponsorship opportunities for local businesses and organizations to get involved, but that’s the first thing to attack in terms of planning, so that information should be available soon.
“I know we’re going to need hole sponsors and auction items and, of course, a lot of golfers, so watch for that information to be released shortly,” Palmer says, “but I’m more than happy to talk to people who want to get involved and figure out how we can partner up, even before we have everything ironed out if someone wants to get a jump on things.”
You can email Palmer at transitions@annelmorehouse.ca to start the conversation about how you, your business or your organization can get in on the golf tournament, and watch for details to be released online at www.annelmorehouse.ca or on their Facebook page (@annelmorehouse).
Check out some of the fun from Saturday’s event:
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