Since 2015, Joe Abbruscato has led a team of community-minded individuals from Niagara College who want to help those who are hungry, hurting and homeless by participating in the Coldest Night of Year, a fundraiser supporting Open Arms Mission (OAM) in Welland.
It’s simply the need for the services that OAM provides that keeps him involved year after year, he says.
“There are many people out there that are struggling with either mental health, financial or personal issues and the Open Arms Mission helps these people through their services. It’s also a great way for us to teach our students how to give back to the community–and they get rewarded with community service hours and cocurricular credit on their transcripts.”
Open Arms Mission is a volunteer-driven organization started in the mid-1980s by a small group of Christian men who wanted to help the less fortunate in their community. In its first few years, the mission served about 80 families each month. By the mid-1990s that number grew to 200 households.
Last year, OAM served more than 200,000 people–a 184-percent year-over-year increase, says Marty Misener, OAM’s Manager of Fundraising and Partner Development.
“Children under 12 were the fastest growing demographic,” he says. “Last year, 5,220 children under 12 received food. This was a 489-percent increase compared to 2022.”
Fortunately, the number of walkers has also increased since the first Coldest Night of the Year in 2015; about $400,000 has been raised for the mission over the past nine years. Almost 40 percent of OAM’s $100,000 goal for this year’s walk has already been pledged.
“There were 233 walkers with 31 teams in 2023,” Misener says, noting participants can do the five-kilometer walk around the Welland Campus alone or as part of a team. “Each year we have seen progressively more walkers join.”
Participants can walk the Coldest Night of the Year route once or twice.
The NC Knight Walkers team, Abbruscato says, has raised nearly $40,000 since 2015. This year he’s hoping the team will hit $10,000 and register 50 to 100 people ahead of the February 24 event.
“My goal is always to get as many people involved as possible,” he says. “A few years ago we had the second largest team in Canada and I would love to see us hit those numbers again.”
It’s gratifying to be a part of something that makes a difference in the community, he adds.
“This is such a rewarding experience. It’s nice to give back, especially when all proceeds raised stay within the community. It’s also a family-friendly event so you are welcome to bring your coworkers, partners, siblings, kids and friends.”
Coldest Night of the Year is happening on February 24 at the Welland Campus beginning with team/participant check-in at 3 p.m., followed by the walk at 4 p.m., refreshments at 5 p.m., and wrap-up at 6 p.m.
The two-kilometre route will take walkers from the Athletic Centre, towards First Avenue and then south on First Avenue to Woodlawn Road. They’ll move down Woodlawn Road to Rice Road, and then right on Talbot Trail, which brings them back into the Welland Campus. Walkers will proceed to the Athletic Centre to finish the loop. Participants can complete the loop once or twice.
Alternatively, individuals who can’t make it to the main event but would still like to participate can register online and set up a personal Fundhub page to collect pledges and walk an offsite route any day in February.
To register to be a part of the NC Knight Walkers team, or to donate, visit the team page.
