I volunteered for the Coldest Night Walk/Run yesterday. When I worked at Chartwell from 2002 - 2008, Jeff Smith, the president, was on the board of Homes First, a charity in support of housing in Toronto.
They came up with the idea of the first Coldest Night fund-raiser - it raised money through the fee to attend an evening aimed at the corporate crowd - fancy appetizers along with auction items. Having a fund raiser in the middle of winter - a dead time for charities - turned out to be a huge success. And so it continued and is all across Canada now.
What I saw yesterday was lots of families - little children - in strollers and wagons - participating in the walk. What a change in the focus of the fund raising. Families, friends, residents, supporting affordable living in their own community - very inclusive and community centred.
Being at the Welcome Station, I got to greet everyone. I wondered about what these families do on regular weekends. Where do they congregate? I haven't figured it out.
So how much is raised from this one day event? Almost $50,000 for West Niagara. Turkstra Lumber in Smithville with 9 members walking placed first in the fund raisers - with $8,680. That's a big number to me. Their corporate number is even larger - $30,000. That number placed them second in the corporate challenge.
At the end of a cold walk is the reward of a chili taste-off. Think CHILLY taste-off - the perfect food to follow a cold weather walk. The chili makers included Smoke and Moonshine, Station 1, JJ's On the Docks, Maplecrest Retirement Home, Stoney Creek, and more. We'll have to wait to find out the winner. My vote was with Smoke and Moonshine. The smoky BBQ flavours are unmistakable and delicious, although it might be a bit spicy for most.
It's the Orchid Show at Royal Botanical Gardens next weekend. Here's a beauty from a previous show - a "Pansy Orchid". Looking forward to an exceptional display of exotic blooms again this year.
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