Open Doors at St. Christopher’s Anglican Church hosted its annual Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) fundraiser in support of its programs that offer food, clothing, and seasonal offerings to community members in need.
This year saw a surge in participation and dollars raised, with some 230 walkers, 70 volunteers, and a grand total of $70,767, sailing by Open Doors’ goal of $50,000. This is much-needed, as Open Doors has seen a 40% to 50% increase in the use of their services year over year since the pandemic.
MPP Natalie Pierre spoke as well, thanking Open Doors for “stepping up, yet again” for supporting Burlington’s residents in need, and congratulating them on their record number of participants this year.
St. Christopher’s Reverend Cannon Dr. Penny Anderson announced the top three teams before the walkers set out on Sunday: top fundraisers were the Simpson Strutters, Buddy’s Buddies, and Knock Knock Knockin’ on Open Doors.
Of the impact of the CNOY fundraiser, Anderson said to the gathered crowd, “Open Doors turns the money you raise through Coldest Night of the Year into dignity and hope for every one of our guests.”
In numbers and on average, Open Doors serves around 680 hot meals and provides groceries for about 440 families each month. Then there’s the free clothing store, which sees at least 100 people per month.
As well as highlighting the walkers’ achievements, Anderson thanked volunteer mother and daughter team Gail Grant and Heather Bonser, who organized this year’s CNOY event. Grant and Bonser, alongside two other volunteers, who helped with registrations and organizing volunteers, have been busy putting together CNOY since mid-December.
After the walkers filed out of the church, the Burlington Teen Tour Band led the crowd for the first part of the walk, complete with music, of course. Each team or individual chose from two routes, either 2.5 km or 5 km.
The Burlington Top Hat Marching Orchestra was ready to welcome the walkers back; some members of the first groups back had a little dance in the parking lot to the orchestra’s tunes.
The walkers came back into the church to enjoy a communal dinner; Open Doors’ Good Food Coordinator Shannon Shuell and her team of volunteers had five types of soup ready to warm the walkers, alongside cake and other sweet treats.
Co-organizer Bonser appreciates all the new faces this year: “Lots of them are people we don’t have existing relationships with this year…that’s been the coolest thing.”
Open Doors has been running CNOY events for 10 years, but CNOY as a movement began back in 2011, with fundraising events happening across Canada to support charities that serve those who are “experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness,” according to CNOY’s website. The funds raised stay within the communities that run the events. Tens of thousands of people participate in CNOY events and have raised over $75 million across Canada since the movement’s inception.
“An event like this makes an incredible difference,” says Anderson.
