YWCA Prince Albert employee wearing an inflatable costume ahead of the Coldest Night of the Year walk. (Jaryn Vecchio/paNOW Staff)

By Jaryn Vecchio

For a Good Cause

Around $58K raised during YWCA Prince Albert’s Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser

Feb 26, 2024 | 2:00 PM

The YWCA Prince Albert is nearly $60,000 richer thanks to its biggest fundraiser of the year.

Over the weekend, around 150 people walked the streets of downtown P.A. for the annual ‘Coldest Night of the Year’ event.

All the funds raised will help the YWCA continue offering its programs and services in the community.

A group mostly made up of youth ended up raising over $7,500. Lisa Krueger, the youth program coordinator with the YWCA and the group’s captain, believes it says a lot that kids and teens were able to fundraise the most.

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“Youth do take an active role in their programming, in the life that the YWCA tries to facilitate for them.”

None of the funds the youth donated came out of their own pockets. Rather, the group held different fundraisers which helped them collect the roughly $7,500.

Those who took part in the walk were quite fortunate this year as the temperature crept above zero.

“I remember walking one year and the windchill was about minus 30. We just about froze,” said Donna Brooks, the CEO of YWCA.

She also doesn’t believe the warm weather takes away from the main message of the event.

“Would you want to sleep outside?”

While the cold weather was not missed, the presence of Shirley Henderson was. The former chair of the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) Women’s Commission passed away in December.

Brooks explained Henderson was always a big supporter of the YWCA.

“It wasn’t just that she advocated for us, Shirley helped so many people on the ground in her community; people that we serve every day,” she said.

Donna Brooks (left), CEO of the YWCA, accepting a donation from Deborah McLean, Chair of the Prince Albert Grand Council Women’s Commission. The Commission was the lead sponsor of the event. (Jaryn Vecchio/paNOW Staff)

Henderson’s husband Noland ended up taking part in the walk. He told paNOW he was there for his wife and the people who need the YWCA.

“The people that benefit, I know some of them and they do take advantage of [the services] and that’s what this cause is about and why I came to contribute.”

Meanwhile, the YWCA is hopeful they can creep over the $60,000 raised mark in the coming days as they still have a couple of active raffles.

—

Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow