One of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the less fortunate across the region happened Saturday night.
In Timmins, the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser was in support of Anti-hunger Coalition Timmins.
The community organization has some exciting plans in the near future – it will be moving in to a new permanent location that will be large enough to have a community kitchen.
Projects like this are why the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser is so important to the non-profit organization, officials said.
The organization primarily works to ensure food security in the Timmins-area.
About 50 people came out to walk while approximately 60 volunteers were on hand to help guide people along both the 2 and 5 kilometre walks.
Money raised through this event in Timmins supports programs like the community gardens and the Good Food Box Program.
“It keeps us running,” said Kelsey MacDonnell, with the coalition.
“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, with this fundraiser we can keep all our programs running and we can keep doing what we do.”
Macdonell told CTV News the amount collected today is on par with where they need to be.
Participants in Timmins were treated to a homemade chili dinner as part of the night's events.
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Meanwhile – In Greater Sudbury, students from MacLeod Public School held a fundraiser for the Coldest Night of the Year event in their area.
The students, along with staff and parents, sold cookies and hot chocolate as part of their fundraising.
MacLeod raised more than $14,000 for the Samaritan Centre, the beneficiary of the event in Sudbury.
Mark Dennie, the centre’s executive director, previously told CTV News this fundraiser allows them to keep costs low for tenants like the Blue Door Soup Kitchen and the Elgin Street Mission.
With files from CTV News Timmins video journalist Lydia Chubak and photos by CTV News technical director Jessika Lafontaine.
