Council members, young people, and other members of Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island) Christian Reformed Church walked five kilometers together on February 23 through deep snow in temperatures of -8 C (about 18 F).
Walkers from Charlottetown CRC raised $5,500 to fight homelessness.
They walked to raise funds for a local ministry for people without homes. The Saturday-evening walk was part of a coordinated Canada-wide event called The Coldest Night of the Year held in cities across Canada to raise $1,000,000 to fight homelessness.
The Charlottetown walkers walked in three teams—Suzy’s Sassy Strollers, Tulip Stompers, and Walkin’ a Mile—to raise $5,500. They joined more than 300 walkers in Charlottetown who together raised nearly $32,000.
The congregation became involved in the local event because the youth director, Albert Huizing, is part of a prayer group at Solomon’s Porch, the city’s homeless shelter. “We were praying for direction and the decision to take part in the nation-wide ‘coldest night’ even grew out of that prayer,” Huizing said.
Christian Reformed congregations in Ottawa, Ontario, and in Lethbridge Alberta, also participated in the Coldest Night event, which raised $1.3 million nationwide.
