Coldest Night of the Year walk supports Choose Life

Supporters gathered at the Estevan Gospel Chapel on Saturday for theannualColdestNight of the Year Walk in support of Choose Life Ministry.

“The Coldest Night of the Year Walk was a lot of fun,” said Choose Life founder Shelley Boyes.

“It was not too cold, thankfully,andeveryone had a great time.”

Between $6,000 and $7,000 was raised for Choose Life’s Homestead for Hope program, which supports young women with life-controlling issues.Therewere22participants in Estevan and two virtual walkers. Five volunteers helped out.

Supporters could walk a distance of two or five kilometres through south Estevan.

After the walk, people congregated at the chapel for soup, a bun, cookies and coffee, giving them a chance to warm up and socialize.

This year’s top fundraiser was Andrea Miller, who brought in nearly $2,000 for Choose Life. She was among the virtual walkers, as a prior commitment prevented her from being in Es- tevan that day. Joanne Johnston was second with roughly $1,500. Boyes noted both have participated in the walk previously and are supporters of the ministry.

“We didn’t have the participation that we had hoped for this year,” said Boyes. “Many of the walkers who had previously participated had other commitments this weekend. But we’re going to try to do it again next year, and hopefully we will have better participation and be back up tothekindoffundraising that we had in the first years of the event.”

This is Choose Life’s biggest fundraiser of the year. People can still donate to the walk at cnov. org/Estevan.

Coldest Night of the Year walks are held at locations across the country in support of organizations that help the hurting, homeless or hungry.

Calder, Joanne and Sawyer Johnston were pleased to be at the Coldest Night of the Year walk.