February 25, 2022

COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR WALK RAISES RECORD $164,000 IN GRAVENHURST

GRAVENHURST — Get out your snowshoes, hiking boots, skis … tomorrow for the Coldest Night of the Year charity walks in north and south Muskoka.

The temperature won’t be bad — a balmy -3 degrees or so — with chance of flurries.

But, hey, this is February and we’re used to it by now.

And “We are Muskokans!”

That’s the rallying cry in Gravenhurst from 2-5 p.m. and in Huntsville 4-7 p.m.

In Gravenhurst the walk is old hat — er blue and yellow tuque — for the benefitting Gravenhurst Against Poverty (GAP).

Last year they exceeded their $60,000 goal by reaching $87,000.

This year they could double that. As of late Friday afternoon they had pledges of more than $164,000.

They expect more than 400 representative walkers on 75 teams, who will depart from the Lions Pavilion at the Muskoka Wharf.

The 2K walk is up Bay Street, left on to Brown Street and on to the Sawdust City Brewery on Muskoka Road and back.

The 5K walk is up Bay Street to Muskoka Road, south to Mr. Sub and back.

In Huntsville it’s much the same with their goal of $60,000 already being exceeded by $18,000 for Table Soup Kitchen. They list 137 walkers on 29 teams on the CNYO website. The walk starts at the Table Soup Kitchen on Hanes Street for both their two 2K and 5K walks. The shorter walk is the LCBO plaza on Main Street north and the longer one heads south to Centre Street, loops west and back around to Main and up to the LCBO plaza before returning.

Donations for both walks are still welcomed through team member or by dropping off cash or cheques at the event sites.