Community Hope Centre raises $121k locally with walk

The Coldest Night of the Year annual fundraiser has been happening across Canada since 2011, but this year the Leamington Community Hope Centre took on the task of running the local event and raised a whopping $121,033 through a 2km walk on Saturday, February 24.

The day’s activities began around 4 pm with check-in and registration, followed by the send-off of about 215 walkers — many of them making up 26 teams as offices and places of business challenged each other in the fundraising category.

At 5 pm, the walkers left the Leamington Community Hope Centre and made their trek north on Erie Street, to Talbot, down to Victoria and all the way to Oak Street, before turning up Erie Street again and returning to the warm, friendly confines of the Hope Centre for a nourishing meal served by The Giving Spoon.

Among the top teams in the fundraising, the Scotiabank Walking In Hope team brought in $7,410 for the cause, topping the leaderboard with 30 members participating.

Individually, Najla Jitani raised the most with a total of $2,480 in pledges, while Amy Bailey was a close second with $2,345.

Of course, the real winners through this event are the Hope Centre and its clients.

The Leamington Community Hope Centre — located inside the auditorium of the former Knox Presbyterian Church — is a non-profit organization committed to coming alongside people in their most difficult times of life to help them physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. Through its various programs and services, they believe everyone deserves a chance to get back on their feet again.