Thousands of Canadians went for a walk Saturday night to raise money for organizations that help the homeless.
The Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser takes place in 113 cities across the country, including Edmonton.
The group in Alberta’s capital city hoped to raise $35,000 for The Mustard Seed’s Neighbour Centre.
About 160 participants met at the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Saturday night and joined either a two, five or 10-kilometre walk meant to give a glimpse into what it’s like to live homeless.
“Most of the community that access my service, the Neighbour Centre, live outside and sleep outside year round. So those people are walking an average of 24 kilometres a day. Out in this weather, or colder. So it’s been a rough month,” Nova Winter, the centre’s supervisor, said.
“Our community’s been getting a tiny little sliver of what it’s like to live outside in Edmonton.”
The Neighbour Centre is an adult drop-in service located south of the river for people experiencing homelessness and poverty.
