Kentville non-profit to host Coldest Night of the Year for 10th straight year

For the tenth year in a row, Open Arms -- a non-profit organization in Kentville, N.S. -- will be hosting a Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser.

The fundraiser, which will take place in the Annapolis Valley this Saturday, is one of many locations across Canada participating, and consists of a non-competitive family-friendly winter walk -- anywhere between two and 10 kilometres -- that supports Canadian charities that serve people in need.

"I think there's 14 or 15 sites in Eastern Canada that do Coldest Night of the Year (fundraisers)," said John Andrew, the executive director of Open Arms. "Of the 10 years, I think for eight of those years, we've been the number one site in Eastern Canada."

According to Andrew, the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser began in southern Ontario, and was intended to support local shelters, soup kitchens and anyone in need.

"Now this year, it's in 167 cities, towns and communities across the country that are hosting Coldest Night of the Year," Andrew said.

Andrew says this particular event has helped Open Arms in many ways.

"This event ... allowed us to actually purchase physical space to provide shelter, a breakfast program, meals," explained Andrew. "So, for us, this is a huge bulk of our annual budget."

Despite all of the hardships many Canadians have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Andrew said it seems people are reaching out more this year to offer a helping hand.

"We have some big plans, some exciting plans in the community," he said. "So, we put a big goal of $100,000, and we hit 75 per cent of that goal today."

People who want to participate can register for free online.

The Open Arms’ walk begins at 5 p.m. on Saturday at Kentville's Centre Square.

A list of other locations organizing a walk for the fundraiser can be found online.