You’ll need a leader, commander, captain: someone who can steer the CNOY ship and has a natural talent for bringing people together. This can be a teacher, principal, staff member, or administrator - anyone with a big heart who can get students excited about CNOY.
Reach out to a local charity in your community that is already participating in Coldest Night of the Year. (You can find an official CNOY charity close to you by visiting cnoy.org/locations.)
Talk to them about supporting their work through your own school CNOY - they’ll be overjoyed! The charity is your main CNOY contact point; they’ll supply you with resources to help make your walk fun.
Create a route for your school walk that is easy for your students to access - in most cases, this should be on your school’s campus. Outdoors is best (around a soccer field for example), but in a pinch you can even walk the halls or around your school’s gymnasium.
Then, select a date and time that fits in well with your school’s schedule. We highly recommend walking between February 17 and 22 - this is the week preceding CNOY’s official event date. Closer to the evening is better (since this is the Coldest Night of the Year).
You’re going to need a team page to collect online donations! The leader you’ve selected should be the captain of this team and the ‘face’ of this school event.
Get the word out! You’re walking & fundraising for CNOY, say it loud and proud. Promote widely - share your team page link with students and encourage them to join, fundraise, and collect pledges. Hype it up, incentivize, and recognize hard workers.
A few ideas to get the ball rolling: