Walks will be held in Woodstock, Ingersoll and Tillsonburg on Saturday, February 28th.
OXFORD - Lots of people will hit the streets of Woodstock, Ingersoll and Tillsonburg for the Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY).
It's a nationwide campaign that supports charities that help people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness.
The Woodstock event has been supporting Operation Sharing since it first started five years ago. Shaun Baker is co-directing the Woodstock walk this year and he has also been an Operation Sharing board member for the past 10 years. He tells us about some of the programs they offer to those in need.
"Needs expand and change instead of ebb and flow and Operation Sharing is there for when those needs get highlighted. At the moment, Christmas has ended but we did have The Christmas Place. We also have the shelter in Woodstock, The Sharing Table, just to name a few."
Woodstock has a fundraising goal of $150,000 this year.
Tillsonburg and Ingersoll started hosting their own CNOY walks three years ago, to support the Lighthouse transition homes run by United Way Oxford.
United Way Executive Director says they're hoping to raise $52,000 in Tillsonburg and $48,000 in Ingersoll, totalling $100,000 combined.
"Everything that's raised and everything that happens, the awareness and the enthusiasm, all of it matters everywhere across the community. People want to make a difference in the place where they call home and for the people that are their neighbours, so it's a great opportunity to get involved."
The Woodstock event will start/end at College Ave Secondary School, while the Tillsonburg walk starts/ends at the Lions Auditorium, and the Ingersoll event starts/ends at Henderson Hall.
All three events will follow the same schedule for timing with check in starting at 4:00 p.m., opening remarks at 4:45 p.m., send off at 5:00 p.m., a light meal served at 6:00 p.m., and closing remarks at 7:00 p.m..
Dale Flynn Jr., the other co-director for the Woodstock event, says Pat McMahon from The Mill in Tillsonburg provides the light meal for all three events.
"It's not like he just puts together some spread just to do it. I believe last year he did homemade pulled beef on a bun with shredded pickles so it was pretty good! He definitely goes over and above the call of duty to make sure that not only are people are coming out to support our community, but they get a little added bonus with a nice meal."
Scott McKague was the person to first bring CNOY to Oxford County, starting the Woodstock walk in 2020. He's helping Baker and Flynn take the reigns of the event moving forward, as he prepares for a new exciting chapter.
"I'm stepping back now not because I want to, but because I have been hired on nationally to help organize Coldest Night of the Year coast-to-coast. So I am passing the torch here in Woodstock and it's a thrill for me. I left my career in logistics for 25 years and I'm doing something new! So that's awesome and I'm glad to still be a part of it as I can. Thank you Woodstock for making that happen."
McKague is happy to see Woodstock with the highest walker and team registration across the across the country right now, and he credits it to Baker and Flynn.
"We're working together to bring in returning teams that have participated in the past, but they breathed a lot of new life into this and brought a lot of new teams out of the woodwork, people I would have never had a connection with, and it has just grown huge."
Those looking to register or donate the Coldest Night of the Year can do so online here, regardless if you're supporting the walk in Woodstock, Ingersoll, Tillsonburg or another participating community.
Scott McKague, Dale Flynn Jr., Shaun Baker, and Kelly Gilson stopped by the Heart FM studio to chat with Dan and Marcie on Tuesday January 13th. You can listen to the full interview below:
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