Why hold an outdoor 5K fundraiser on the literally coldest night of the year? If you saw our Facebook post about this event last Friday, you probably found yourself asking this exact question, why would anyone want to walk an outdoor 5K at the lakefront in Washington Park in Michigan City in the dark and cold? These are perfectly reasonable questions. Let’s dig into why we are holding this event, what it is, and the reason behind it.
Coldest Night of the Year is a national fundraiser that brings awareness to rural homelessness. When one thinks of our shelter in the heart of Michigan City, the word rural may not come to mind. Yet, we are the only emergency shelter that welcomes men, women, and women with children in La Porte County. Our nearest neighboring shelters are in either St. Joseph or Porter Counties. The distance from our shelter to another shelter is an immense challenge if you are experiencing homelessness, as there is little to no public transportation between these facilities. The video below highlights many of the challenges shelters like ours face.
The Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser aims to bring to light the challenges faced by the guests of rural shelters. Experiencing homelessness in the coldest times of the year can be deadly and with the stakes so high, resources are often spread thin. This fundraiser gives walkers and participants the ability to bring light to this situation and to bring about true support through fundraising to support Nest so that no one is left out in the cold.
We will be holding our Coldest Night of The Year Fundraiser on February 22, 2025, at 4 pm. Our kick-off point is the Senior Center in Washington Park. Our walk will begin at 5 pm, and as a group, we will do two laps through Washington Park for our 5K. Each participant will be given a commemorative insulated mug that can be filled with either hot cocoa or hot coffee to keep you warm as you walk. Volunteers will be stationed along the route for assistance.
After our walk, a community chili dinner will be provided by Swingbellies at the Senior Center. All walkers and volunteers are invited to come together as a community and share a meal in appreciation.
How you Can Help
- Walk: This is a family-friendly, work-friendly, community-oriented walk. You can walk by yourself, or with a team to raise funds. There is no team or walker fundraiser minimum to walk. To sign up to walk, or to form a team to walk visit the Coldest Night of the Year Website.
- Raise Funds – Raise Awareness: You don’t have to walk to raise funds. If you are unable to walk, you can still raise funds to contribute to our walk. These funds still go to Nest and help us sustain operations for the coldest months of the year and beyond. To raise funds visit the Coldest Night of the Year Website.
- Volunteer: We need volunteers to help with this event. From helping along the route to serving dinner to filling coffee mugs and beyond. To volunteer for this event visit the Coldest Night of the Year Website.
- Sponsor this event: We are welcoming corporate sponsorships for this event and for many of our events this year. If you’d like to discuss cooperate sponsorship, please reach out directly to our shelter director, Harrison Holtkamp, here.
We hope to see you there with warm hearts shining bright on the Coldest Night of the Year!
