HOPE House aims to reach a $100,000 fundraising goal for their annual Coldest Night of the Year walk this Saturday to raise money for Guelph’s hurting, hungry and homeless.
So far, 307 people have registered and raised a total of $50,531.
While the primary purpose of the walk is to fundraise, HOPE House's communications and events lead Kimberly Lyons said it is also supposed to simulate the feeling of being outside in the cold while necessity forces you to walk to keep warm.
The walk will begin at 4 p.m. and participants can choose between a 2 km, 5 km and a 10 km route from the Guelph Armory to HOPE House. The 2 km and the 5 km walks have different routes and the 10 km route is the 5 km route completed twice.
Anyone who wants to walk has the option to either register and pledge $25 or waive that registration fee by raising $150 through either joining a team or recruiting their own team.
The event is open to anyone who wants to participate.
“We really do want people to have a good time and be safe and have a good meal at the end and really think about who it's supporting because it's one or two hours of walking for us but it could be an entire night for someone walking to keep warm,” said Lyons.
Lyons said $100,000 can dramatically help the organization provide relief. An example she gives is of $5,000 being able to provide 100 people with a weekly hot breakfast for six months.
“So imagine what $100,000 can do,” said Lyons.
With their location downtown Guelph, Lyons said they're able to cater to the needs of a large number of people because their services are most needed in the core of the city.
However, maintaining a downtown presence comes with a hefty price.
While the funds from the walk will go towards the many HOPE House operations designed to provide services to community members in need with dignity and respect, the organization still requires funds to maintain its services.
“The building is going to be like a million dollar purchase and it will take more than us and we're working on finding funding,” said Lyons.
“This fundraising is going to become more and more important as we are purchasing the building that we are currently in so that we can maintain the high level of services that we already deliver,” said Lyons.
