1%$475Goal: $40,000

Pickering

Durham Youth Services

7 Walkers|4 Teams|86 Days Left

The Coldest Night of the Year is a winterrific family-friendly fundraising walk in support of local charities serving people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness... because it’s cold out there. Join us on February 28, 2026 - across the country, close to home!

RegisterFundraise and join us!DonateGive to a Walker or TeamVolunteerHelp out on CNOY Day

About

Scoreboard

Event Day

Maps

Photos

Contact

Back to Top

Web: durhamyouth.com

FacebookX.comInstagramVideo

About Durham Youth Services

“Every Step Brings a Youth Closer to Home.”

Read More

Since 2008, we’ve operated Joanne’s House — Durham’s only youth-focused emergency shelter for individuals ages 16–24 experiencing homelessness. But we know that ending youth homelessness requires more than offering a roof over someone’s head. As a registered charity, we work alongside youth to find lasting solutions through prevention, rapid rehousing, and ongoing housing stabilization supports.

Last year was our first time participating in the Coldest Night of the Year Walk. With an ambitious goal of $30,000 — and the incredible generosity of our community, along with a one-year Youth Opportunities grant from the Home Depot Canada Foundation — we reached that goal!

Those funds allowed us to place a Housing Support Worker inside the school system and sustain vital supports in Durham high schools.

Today, thanks to last year’s donors and an 3 year Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant, two staff are now working directly with students in Durham’s school boards, providing the housing support they urgently need. Without that generosity, this life-changing work simply would not have been possible.

This year, our focus is Steps to Stabilization.

Because every young person deserves more than a roof — they deserve safety, support, and the chance to build a future. Yet for many youth in Durham Region — those aging out of care, leaving unsafe homes, or falling through the cracks — that future can feel out of reach.

Your support changes that.

It gives youth the courage and resources to take one of the bravest steps of their lives: moving from emergency shelter into a permanent, stable home. For a young person who has slept on couches, in unsafe situations, or outdoors, that first night in their own space is nothing short of life changing.

Behind every door we help open is a young person who finally feels safe. Finally feels supported. Finally feels seen.

Your generosity is the difference between a youth merely surviving — and a youth beginning to heal.

Pickering Scoreboard

Are you thrashing the competition (for a good cause)? Find out here! Stats are updated every 15 minutes. See how you stack up on the national scoreboard >

Teams

Walkers

#	Team Name	Captain	Members	Raised
1	Safe sleep	Mark Bouwmeester	2	475.00
2	Roaring for Hope, Walking for Shelter	Linda Lyons	1
3	Safe & Sound Squad	leah wall	1
4	Hot Chilli Steppers	Samantha Handrigan	2

#	Name	Team Name	Donors	Raised
1	Mark Bouwmeester	Safe sleep	7	475.00
2	Scott Wilson
3	Samantha Handrigan	Hot Chilli Steppers
4	Shae Welner	Hot Chilli Steppers
5	Linda Lyons	Roaring for Hope, Walking for Shelter
6	leah wall	Safe & Sound Squad

Matching
Funds

Goal: Get 5 Donors

Event Day Details

Save the date - CNOY Day is February 28, 2026!

Start/Finish Google Map

Peace Lutheran Church

928 Liverpool Road

Pickering, Ontario

L1W 1S6

Peace Lutheran Church has parking in the church lot and also park in the Community Centre to the south side.

Registration starts at 4:00pm

Come to the upstairs lobby to ensure you are registered and ready to walk before you head downstairs!

We will have a brief Welcome before we head out to walk down Liverpool Road and return to share a warm meal and wrap up for 6pm.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Schedule

4:00 pm: Meet Check-in

4:45 pm: Muster Gather for Opening Remarks

5:00 pm: Move Send-off

6:00 pm: Munch Light meal served

7:00 pm: Mosey Thank You! See you in 2027!

Not able to join us in person at the Main Event? We hope you'll register, fundraise and walk offsite with friends and family.

Route Details

Route Distances: Check out the maps below to see where we will be walking.

Rest stop: Keep an eye out for opportunities to rest and refresh with yummy snacks along the route.

Signage: Routes will be well-signed with our bold blue CNOY signs.

Route Support: Route marshals, rest stop hosts, and support vehicle drivers provide support along the route.

Children 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.

No Pets: We love our little furballs like you do, but pets are not permitted at the Coldest Night of the Year except for approved and trained service animals. Read more about our pet policy >

Check-In

All walkers participating at the Main Event on Saturday, February 28, 2026 must check-in upon arrival.

Toques! Fundraising walkers who raise $150+ (or $75+ for those under 18) will receive a CNOY toque as a thank you on event day, while supplies last.

Offsite fundraising walkers can contact their local event director to arrange toque pickup the week of the event.

Have questions? Visit the FAQ section!

Handling Money

Credit Card: The Best Option! Simple, secure, automatically tax receipted for gifts of $20+. Visit the Donate page, share your personal page link, or have your donor call the CNOY Head Office.

Cheques: The Old Faithful - made out to Coldest Night of the Year with your name on the Memo line. Mail them to CNOY Head Office along with your completed pledge form.

Cash: You have 2 options:

1. Login to FundHub, click “Enter $$ and Cheques,” create pledges for your cash donations, pay them off with your personal credit card, and keep the cash. OR...

2. Write a cheque (made out to “Coldest Night of the Year”) for the total amount of cash you’ve collected. Mail it to the CNOY Head Office with your completed pledge sheet.