Last year, when Society took part in the Canada-wide Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser walk for the first time, they were surprised to see just how much money the community raised.
Well, not so much surprised as “thrilled,” clarified Amber Cowie, community partnership and fund development manager for the society.
“We have some really incredible volunteers and partners at Squamish Helping Hands,” she said. “It shouldn’t have been a surprise at the level of participation last year, but we were pleasantly thrilled so many people came out.”
Their inaugural event saw 285 people raise $83,096—four times the national average for a first-year location, they said.
“By walking together in the chill of the night, participants will better understand the experience of being on the streets during a cold Canadian winter, while raising general funds to aid the work of Squamish Helping Hands Society in providing much-needed support,” according to an event press release.
The second annual walk is set for Feb. 22, 2025, starting and ending in Junction Park, and organizers are hoping to attract 400 to 500 participants with a goal of raising $150,000 to support the work they do helping the community’s vulnerable population.
“It’s a really important fundraiser for a couple of different reasons,” Cowie said. “At Squamish Helping Hands we have a big job to do and there’s a huge need for general funds, which allow us to accommodate unexpected events that happen at the shelter. We never know what to expect on any given day. [This money] allows us to be nimble and responsive to all our community needs.”
That flexibility to support the community has become even more important in recent years as the cost of living—and housing—has soared.
“Anecdotally, we hear these stories all the time that break your heart or turn your stomach—making a choice between putting food on the table or winter tires on cars. Working moms who have been barely getting by for a long time because of the price of everything,” Cowie said.
While the event might support a serious cause, the goal is to bring the community together for a good time.
Participants are encouraged to sign up, ask friends and family for donations and then hit the pavement for a 2 km or 5 km route. (As a bonus, anyone who raises over $150—or $75 if you’re a youth—will get a Coldest Night of the Year toque for the walk.)
The event will culminate in a celebration afterwards at Howe Sound Inn and Brewing.
“The biggest call to action right now is [to] start a team,” Cowie said. “The way the Coldest Night of the Year works is if you remember old-school fundraising like Jump Rope for Heart, you list yourself as an existing team or start one yourself or join the Squamish Helping Hands team and ask friends, neighbours, anyone to pledge you as a walker and raise money for Squamish Helping Hands.”
While people often open their hearts—and wallets—for good causes in December, charitable giving can fall away by February. It can also be a notoriously gloomy month.
“What’s cool about Coldest Night of the Year is it gives people something to look forward to,” Cowie said. “This event is intended to be fun. It’s meant to show different folks—from kids to elders, everyone in between—in a community celebration that really recognizes and values what we have and opens the door for inclusivity for everyone to be a part of our community.”
To sign up for the Coldest Night of the year visit and select Squamish.
