Coldest Night of the Year in Norfolk

Jayne Staples and Sharon Carey walked the 5-km route Feb. 28 during the Coldest Night of the Year fundraising walk in Simcoe, supporting Norfolk Youth Unlimited.

Chris Abbott

Editor

Lion Jayne Staples and friend Sharon Carey walked 5 km on the Coldest Night of the Year Walk in Simcoe, raising funds for Norfolk Youth Unlimited, including the TeenLink program, and raising awareness in the community.

“It’s all about awareness and raising that awareness,” said co-organizer Dan Avey from Youth Unlimited. “There is a need for more emergency housing and more permanent housing as opposed to just emergency.”

It was Staples’ third walk, Carey’s first.

“I’m a Simcoe Lion, so I am part of the Norfolk Lion team,” said Staples. “Sharon’s my walking buddy. We had a great time walking along, waving at cars, being silly.”

“We always have fun together,” Carey laughed. 

More than 100 participants, including 93 who pre-registered, had a choice between 2-km and 5-km routes on Feb. 28. Some also walked off-site.

“We’re walkers, so it (5 km) was good for us,” said Carey.

“Just the last little hill, we felt it,” said Staples. “You’re walking along… and you’re legs got heavy.

Norfolk’s Coldest Night of the Year started and finished at McDonald’s on the Queensway, with the 5-km route turning around at Kingfisher Café on Norfolk Street.

Simcoe Lion Rob Goold power walked the 5-km route, leading the Norfolk Lion team, which included 12 members from the Simcoe Lions, Waterford Lions and Vittoria Lions.

 “I went to speak with the Waterford Lions to tell them about this event and said ‘let’s do it,’” said Goold. “And we did it.”

The Lions team raised about $3,500, including donations from the Simcoe, Waterford and Vittoria clubs.

“This event is so heart-warming.”

Although temperatures were in the ‘plus’ range mid-day on Feb. 28, it was getting colder by the hour, expected to drop to -12 C overnight.

MPP Bobbi Ann Brady attended both Dunnville’s first Coldest Night of the Year and the annual event in Simcoe.

“I think that many of us take for granted that we go home to a nice warm house, to a hot meal, and sometimes we lose sight of the fact that there are people in our community who are vulnerable, including our youth, who don’t necessarily have those things,” said Brady. “They face hunger, they face homelessness, and they face a whole lot of uncertainty.

“Dan (Avey) and Norfolk Youth Unlimited - for many years now - have been rising to the challenge of not only supporting and mentoring our young people in Norfolk County, but also providing that much needed hope. Hope that tomorrow might be a different day, and hope that they don’t have to walk that path alone anymore.”

“We have raised more money this year than last year, which is pretty cool, pretty awesome,” said Avey, noting the 2026 event was their seventh year in Norfolk. “This community has blown me away again, how they wrap around it, like the CUPE (4700) union, they are really onboard with what we are doing. The Ebeneezer Christian Reform out of Jarvis are really supportive of what we are doing. Lisa Cooper, one of my volunteers, was the top individual fundraiser.”

Youth Unlimited programs include an after-school drop-in program, a lunch program, a youth group in Delhi, a girls group in Waterford, and a summer lawncare program.

New Coldest Night of the Year volunteers are needed, said Avey.

“I’m definitely looking for other people that want to help rally this cause. We need other people that want to push it further. I believe it has the potential to grow even more.”