The biggest fundraiser on the Downtown Mission's calendar is returning Saturday.
The Mission's Coldest Night of the Year walk is back for an in-person fundraiser for the first time in three years, after the 2021 and 2022 editions went virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is one of 182 across Canada to support programs that help the community's most vulnerable.
This is the tenth anniversary of the Mission's version of the walk.
Volunteers from the Mission will join individual walkers and teams on a winter night's walk, which is designed to show empathy for those forced to spend winter nights on the street.
Walkers will choose a two-kilometre or five-kilometre walk through downtown Windsor streets. A period of food and fellowship follows the run at the Mission.
The Mission said as of Friday morning, 31 teams had registered to participate.
This year's goal for the walk is to raise $100,000. The virtual walk in 2022 raised $69,870 for the Mission's programs and services. Over its ten-year history, it has raised a total of $386,315.
The walk begins at 5 p.m. at the Mission, located at 875 Ouellette Avenue. Complete information can be found on the Downtown Mission's official website.