Saturday night wasn’t any normal evening in the life of 17-year Lake Country student Quinn Middleton.
Middleton, a Grade 12 student at George Elliot secondary school, joined with thousands of others across the country to take part in the Coldest Night of the Year, a nation-wide walk-a-thon in support of homeless ministries and to raise awareness and funds for the plight of homeless people across Canada.
“I think for me the big thing is seeing all of the people that are going to be out there supporting the homeless,” said Middleton last week, a day before taking part in the walk-a-thon Saturday evening at the Kelowna Gospel Mission. “Seeing how many people take on the challenge and step out into the cold and experience what the homeless people experience will be good. It’s not going to be the same but it will give us a taste of what it’s like. I couldn’t really imagine doing what they have to do every day.”
So while many people were curled up cozy and warm in the safety of home, Middleton, along with friend Wynden Danylowich, were out taking part in a national movement aimed at helping a problem that affects people right across the country and is a big issue in the Okanagan. Middleton says it’s important for people to take part in community initiatives as opposed to ignoring social problems.
“I think it’s really important to get out into the community and show your support and show you care. They are having these walks all around Canada,” he said. “Taking part in something like this definitely opens your eyes and shows what can happen if you don’t stay on the right path.”
A Grade 12 student, Middleton is no stranger to being part of the community. During his Grade 12 year, he has been spending one night a month at Lake Country council representing students in Lake Country as a youth councilor. Middleton and Danylowich share the duties as the pair have learned about how local government works and how decisions are made in a community.
A lifelong resident of Lake Country, Middleton says he hopes to attend UBC in Vancouver and study for a business degree next year and says his time as a youth councilor has been a great educational tool.
“I think it’s been a really nice experience for me as a student, to get to know what’s going on outside of the high school,” he said. “It’s nice to know how the community runs. It helps me prepare for life outside of high school when I move on.”
Middleton didn’t rule out a life in local politics and said he would enjoy the challenges that come with being a decision-maker in a community. And he said he also plans to take part in other forms of activism such as Saturday’s Coldest Night of the Year.
“I’m interested in just helping out whereever I can,” he said.
