Hundreds of York Region residents will take to the streets tonight to better understand homelessness as part of the the 360°kids Experience.
The youth homeless charity is hosting its annual fundraiser across York Region, where participants will brave the cold weather at designated locations or outside their homes overnight. The 11th annual event is a key fundraiser for the charity, with kickoff set for Stouffville at 6:30 p.m and the event lasting until 6 a.m.
Director of resource development Lesley Sims said it has been wonderful putting the event together, with more than 230 participants signed up.
The support “means that we can continue being there for the kids when they’re reaching out to us in crisis, and we can respond appropriately to help them into more safe and stable environments,” she said.
The event has raised more than $1.5 million for the charity since its inception. It runs with three streams: an in-person experience where participants get a taste of being on the streets late at night, a corporate event where teams experience challenges at a community safety village, and a virtual experience where students and individuals participate near their homes.
The charity works to give youth a place to stay, operating hubs where youth at risk of or experiencing homelessness can get support.
“On any given night in York Region, over 300 youth have no place to call home — an unacceptable and tragic reality,” CEO Clovis Grant said. “For a young person, being on the streets means loneliness, fear, stress, anxiety, and many dreams unfulfilled.”
The mayors of York Region have also banded together for the first time for the event, started by usual event participant, Richmond Hill Mayor David West. Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt and Newmarket Mayor John Taylor are also set to participate.
Other notable participants include York Regional Police’s command team, York Catholic District School Board senior staff, area councillors and OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt.
The charity has set a goal of $400,000, raising $240,659 of that so far.
All the funds raised go to support 360°kids and its programs, Sims said.
“Although we run quite a number of programs, not all of them are completely funded, so we have to do fundraising ourselves to continue offering these vital programs,” she said. “It means we can continue being there for kids when they’re reaching out to us in crisis.”
You can donate to the event through the 360°kids website or support of the participant of your choice.
