This year 14 volunteers of all ages from our Winnipeg chapter participated in Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) to raise funds for Resource Assistance for Youth (RaY) – a local charity that supports at risk youth in Winnipeg. Their mission statement, “to provide youth with what they need, on their terms, to better their lives” is a great summary of what they are about and what they do. They evolved from an organization that merely reacted to youth in crisis to becoming a proactive provider of prevention, intervention, outreach and support services. Our volunteers who walked 5 km had a chance to stop for pizza and check out RaY’s facilities.
Youth using RaY’s services also volunteered in the event braving the cold as cheerleaders and route markers – it was a great experience and a chance for our volunteers to gain greater compassion and understanding for the challenges they face. Luckily it wasn’t actually the coldest night of the year and the blizzard held out until everyone had finished the walk. Our Winnipeg chapter has been focused on working with groups that serve youth in Winnipeg so it was a perfect opportunity to start building a new relationship! Our volunteers put their game faces on, strapped on their shoes and were able to raise over $2,000 themselves, contributing to Winnipeg’s own total of over $23,000!