Maple Ridge students walk for Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser

Two Maple Ridge schools joined thousands of Canadians across the country in the Coldest Night of the Year walk to raise money for local organizations that support those in need.

Students at Whonnock Elementary walked from the school to Whonnock Lake, while Environmental School students walked through the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest.

“It’s important for students to positively connect with their community,” said Erin Kieneker, the teacher who led the annual fundraiser at Whonnock Elementary. “This fundraiser helps them recognize that not all families come from the same circumstances, and that all children deserve to be warm, well fed, and supported.”

The Coldest Night of the Year is held in February each year and participants walk 2 or 5 kilometres to raise money for local charities and show their support. The idea behind the fundraiser is that by walking in the cold, participants feel a hint of what those experiencing homelessness go through during winter.

Whonnock Elementary raised $732 for Mission Youth House, a non-profit organization that provides meals, showers, laundry, counselling, and other support services to youth experiencing homelessness or those at risk.

Kieneker’s and Grace Hubert’s Grade 1/2 classes also collected blankets, snacks, soap and hygiene products to create care packages for Mission Youth House.

Meanwhile, Environmental School students raised $380 for the Maple Ridge Street Outreach Society, a non-profit organization that provides education to its members and the public, advocates for policy change, and provides support and networking opportunities for people who use substances and those who are unhoused. The school also raised $175 for Food for the Soul Project Society, a non-profit organization that provides counselling, substance use treatment and food programs.

Before their walk through the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, Environmental School students heard from one of the Maple Ridge Street Outreach Society members. They then gathered for a drum circle before walking through the forest as a school, with parents and siblings alongside students.