The Coldest Night of the Year walk is Start Me Up Niagara's largest fundraiser of the year with a 2026 goal of $175,000 Help us reach our goal, walk, donate, sponsor. Together, we can build a stronger, more compassionate Niagara, one step at a time.
Main registration opens December 1, 2025
Have questions, want to discuss sponsorship opportunities? contact our event director at cnoy@startmeupniagara.ca
To fundraise and walk with us on February 28, 2026, visit CNOYStC
Walk: As a team or an individual, as a school class, as a corporate social responsibility team
Donate: to a team or individual, every $ raised gets us one step closer to our goal
Support: share the message, encourage friends, family, collogues, classmates to join you. Be a TEAM CAPTAIN!
Sponsor: show your support by being a community leader with sponsorship.
Celebrate our St. Catharines & Niagara Community effort!
New Location in 2026 - Niagara Pen Centre!
Main Event: In-person main event – complete with 2km + 5km signed routes, rest stops, volunteers, snacks and a delicious meal at the end.
New 2026 - Indoor Walk in St. Catharines: We will offer an indoor walk option. Note: this is exclusive to the St.Catharines location only, main CNOY information and web pages do not have a place to list the indoor route or information.
Offsite Walk: We welcome offsite fundraisers who self-organize either with friends or individually, walking any day in February on a route they choose.
School Challenge: Show your school spirit, register your school, collect donations online and walk offsite or at the main walk.
"Approximately 235,000 Canadians experience homelessness each year, and there are even more who are underhoused. Housing advocates say these figures may increase, due to economic instability during the coronavirus pandemic." The United Way, Canada.
Thank you to our Community Sponsors who generously support their local CNOY event and Start Me Up Niagara.
2025 SUPPORTING SPONSORS 2026 GOODS AND SERVICE SPONSORS