News

Coldest Night of the Year 2025 was a massive success! We had our biggest CNOY ever, and it’s thanks to all who walked, fundraised, donated, volunteered and raised awareness for the Downtown Eastside.

We’re so thrilled to announce that we ended the night exceeding our goal of $120,000, and as of today, we’ve surpassed $126,000 in funds raised for the DTES!

Hundreds of folks showed up at 312 Main on Saturday, ready to brave the wet and cold streets of Vancouver in support of our DTES neighbours. While it was pouring buckets outside, the venue filled up with enthusiastic walkers who were prepared to experience just a little bit of the discomfort that our unhoused neighbours experience every day. Thankfully, the rain cleared up right before the walk started, but it was heartening to know that walkers were ready to bear rough weather in order to raise awareness and funds for the DTES.

We want to say a massive thank you to the 222 walkers who joined us, not just for their walking, but for their tireless fundraising efforts in the weeks and months leading up to walk day. We had a total of 31 teams, including several teams that did the walk virtually from their own location. And of course, this wouldn’t be possible without our amazing volunteers who stepped up to make sure the event could run smoothly! We’d also like to thank the amazing volunteers who chose to spend their Saturday helping ensure this event would run smoothly! Thank you! 

We’d also like to thank our guest speakers Jenny Kwan, MP for Vancouver East, and Vancouver City Councillor Rebecca Bligh, who joined us ahead of the walk to share some words of encouragement for walkers, as well as remarks around the importance of and need for supportive housing.

Amanda Burrows, Executive Director, then took to the stage to address the current issues plaguing the DTES and to express our gratitude for the hundreds who joined us that night:
“Our neighbours are not the problem, the lack of support’s the problem. In our quest to hide poverty and to hide homelessness we’re at risk of hiding our very own humanity. But I have to tell you what, tonight all I see is humanity. You are showing up. Your action, your care, and your compassion. Compassion without action is just sympathy and we need a lot more than sympathy with what is happening in our community right now. So, thank you. You give your time and your money, finite resources and you give them with abundance.”

We’d like to echo Amanda’s words when it comes to our volunteers. Thank you to those who gave their time and energy in abundance to help us with registration, food service, the food truck rest stop, route marshalling, set up and clean up, wayfinding, and photography. We couldn’t have made this event work without you!

For the third year in a row, our First Food Truck served as the rest stop area, where walkers could stop to enjoy a delicious hot chocolate and cookies that were kindly gifted to us by Terra Breads! This was a nice chance for walkers to stop and chat with one another, while enjoying a sweet refreshment before proceeding with the rest of the route.

When walkers got back to 312 Main, they were treated to a hearty bowl of vegetarian chilli, topped with cheese and complete with a bread roll on the side. This was prepared by our very own FIRST UNITED kitchen staff and is the same vegetarian chilli that we serve to community members from our food truck.

Our deepest gratitude goes to our sponsors who helped make this event happen. Thank you so much to Supporting Sponsors BC Housing, Strathcona BIA, and ITC Construction Group, as well as Community Sponsors Hastings Crossing BIA, Meridian Rehab, and UpGuys Health!

Once again, thank you to everyone who joined us. It takes a collective group of people, not just to make this event happen, but to also make a change in the community. We couldn’t have asked for a better group of supporters to do this with. Thank you for showing up and taking action for Coldest Night of the Year, and beyond. As of today, over 450 people answered the call to send a letter to Vancouver City Councillors asking to withdraw the motion to pause net-new supportive housing, ahead of Wednesday’s city council meeting. We are grateful that we’re joined by a group of action-takers who will show up in multiple ways, using their time, energy, money, and voice to see a neighbourhood where everyone’s worth is celebrated and all people thrive.

Top Ten Teams
Special shoutout to our number one fundraising team this year for their incredible efforts!

1) FIRST Things First! – Amanda Burrows
2) Universal Gospel Choir – Inge Siemens
3) Team Highlands – Al Lill
4) West Van United Walkers- ALF Filbert
5) Canadian Memorial United Walkers- Karen Vanderheyden
6) SHUC Walkers- Deb Walker
7) Pacific Spirit Walkers- Sabina Harpe
8) University Hill United Church & Friends- Sandra Willing
9) Crossroads United Church – Delta- Joanna Cossey
10) Friends Forever- Bruce Frankard

1K Walkers
Special shoutout to walkers who fundraised $1,000 or more! Way to go! Thank you for going above and beyond.

Patricia Alexis of Pacific Spirit Walkers
Sally Ball of Pacific Spirit Walkers
Brenda Belak of FIRST Things First!
Susan Burns of Pacific Spirit Walkers
Amanda Burrows of FIRST Things First!
Betty Capin of Team Highlands
Simone & Jon Carrodus of Team Highlands
Cristina Ciccone of Universal Gospel Choir
Judith Clark of Lynn Valley Amblers
Heather Clarke of SHUC WALKERS
Joanna Cossey of Crossroads United Church – Delta
Janet Denham of Crossroads United Church – Delta
Susan Du Moulin of Canadian Memorial United Walkers
Karen Epp of Goldbeck Giving
Bruce Frankard of Friends Forever
Blair Galston of Pacific Mountaineers
Henry Goldbeck of Goldbeck Giving
Will Goldbeck of Will of the People!
Christine Gordon of Universal Gospel Choir
Sabina Harpe of Pacific Spirit Walkers
Al Lill of Team Highlands
Christine & Callum Louden/Clipperton of SHUC WALKERS
Jean McTavish of Pacific Spirit Walkers
Dave Moors of SHUC WALKERS
Margaret Mutch of Canadian Memorial United Walkers
Inge Siemens of Universal Gospel Choir
Karen Vanderheyden of Canadian Memorial United Walkers
Deb Walker of SHUC WALKERS
Ross White of Team Highlands
Christina Zaenker of University Hill United Church & Friends

Thank you, Coldest Night of the Year volunteers:
Kimia Beihaghi
Brenda Belak
Josh Belak
Gail Busto
Vickie Carter
Mike Cohen
Avi Feinberg
Kimberly Ivany
Erica Johnson
Joshua Kisakye
Mer Montador
Julia Moretto
Rebekah Pothaar
Ian Sadler
Benedicte Schoepflin
Bianca Spagnuolo
Joan Wenham
Bryant Winters
Johnny Zakharia

FIRST UNITED CNOY 2025 Teams and Captains
89 Degrees- Melissa P
Brentwood Presbyterian Church- Will Clarke
Canadian Memorial United Walkers- Karen Vanderheyden
Crossroads United Church – Delta- Joanna Cossey
D222 Starbucks- Emily MacDougall
FIRST Things First!- Amanda Burrows
Friends Forever- Bruce Frankard
Goldbeck Giving- Henry Goldbeck
GoTeamGo- Mandy Shintani
HOUSing 4 All- Vanessa LeBlanc
Ladner for First- Duncan Furniss
Launch Walker- Marjorie Ferguson
Lynn Valley Amblers- Judith Clark
Meridian Rehab- Kristin Smerch
Oakridge United Church- Heather Joy James
Pacific Mountaineers- Alexandra Barr
Pacific Spirit Walkers- Sabina Harpe
SHUC WALKERS- Deb Walker
Starbucks One Downtown Vancouver- Ann-Marie Lee-Teahen
Stepping Up and Stepping Out- Julie Alava
Team Good News- Diane Jones
Team Highlands- Al Lill
The Mittens- Lauren Telford
Universal Gospel Choir- Inge Siemens
University Hill United Church & Friends- Sandra Willing
UPGUYS- Franziska Schwarzmann
Vancouver Unitarians- Tim Smith
Walking for Warmth- Amber Tugwood
West Point Grey United Church- Gabrielle Mew
West Van United Walkers- ALF Filbert
Will of the People!- Will Goldbeck