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By Ian Gustafson and Sheldon Spackman

Raising awareness and funds

Coldest Night of the Year set for this Saturday

Feb 23, 2026 | 11:21 AM

The Coldest Night of the Year will return this week.

On Saturday, Feb. 28, the Red Deer Food Bank and The Mustard Seed will hold the annual walk to fundraise for both organizations.

It will take place at Ecole Central Middle School, with registration beginning at 4 p.m. The event kicks off at 5 p.m., followed by a light meal at 6 p.m. at the school. There will also be music and activities available for kids in attendance.

Each year, teams of participants walk either two or five kilometres to raise awareness of the challenges faced by the local homeless community during the coldest months of the year.

Jonathan Hildebrandt, volunteer and community engagement coordinator with The Mustard Seed, said it’s a very important event for them.

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Raising awareness and funds

Coldest Night of the Year set for this Saturday

3h ago

He explained they have programs such as the school lunch program that’s funded through charitable donations and events like the Coldest Night of the Year.

“We actually rely quite heavily on these sorts of things,” he said.

Last year, the event raised $92,652, which was the highest amount they’ve ever raised.

This year, they set a goal to raise $65,000, and Hildebrandt said they’ve already reached that goal.

“We are hoping and expecting to just blow right past that goal, and we would love to see numbers higher in the ninety thousands or even hundred thousands,” he added.

Hildebrandt explained that this event has a huge impact not only financially but also as an organization to see such a huge turnout of people there to show support for their clients, who he said are often overlooked.

“It’s a big statement that the community cares about what we do, and not only is it inspiring and uplifting to our staff, but to our clients. It actually means a lot,” he said.

“I hope [the participants] take away a little bit of a greater depth of compassion and empathy for the people who are out there in the cold. I hope they also just feel like they got to make an impact and they got to celebrate that impact.”

Meantime, Mitch Thomson, executive director of the Red Deer Food Bank, said it’s a wonderful event for the food bank.

It’s also an opportunity for them to work with The Mustard Seed to create awareness for those who are homeless in Red Deer.

“Advocating for those who are hurting, hungry, and homeless includes considering those who are facing addiction, mental health struggles, or struggling to keep a roof over their head or food on the table,” Thomson said.

Coming out of the Christmas season, Thomson said their food stock is in a good place, but added that it doesn’t take long for that to change.

By April, the food bank typically sees their shelves begin to thin, so getting ahead of that with another fundraiser in February allows them to continue to help families and individuals.

“Demand is more than double what it was four years ago, and that need doesn’t seem to be decreasing,” Thomson said.

“For the food bank, this is a major fundraiser, but it’s also a major opportunity to talk about all of those issues. We see ourselves as a support that prevents people from becoming homeless. People often look at the struggles they’re facing, and they determine if they can pay the rent, keep the house, or put groceries on the table. Bringing groups together and talking about these things really matters.”

For more information on the event, visit cnoy.org/reddeer.