Coldest Night of the Year Is Back!

Walk for WATTS in Winchester February 22 to stamp out homelessness

By Cindee Steele

The Winchester Area Temporary Transitional Shelter (WATTS) invites everyone to come out for our annual “winterrific,” family-friendly fundraising walk — “Coldest Night of the Year” (CNOY).  The walk, which will take place in 50+ participating cities all across the U.S. and Canada, is Saturday, February 22. Choose to walk the 2k or 5k — both routes go around downtown Winchester and along sidewalks. Step outside the warmth and comfort of home for a few hours on the evening of the 22nd and walk with us in honor and support of our friends and neighbors who are experiencing homelessness.

This is WATTS’ third year hosting a Coldest Night of the Year event for Winchester and the surrounding community. Last year, over 800 walkers at our event took to the streets; it was quite a sight to behold!  By walking together in the chill of a winter evening, participants bring awareness and gain understanding experiencing a little bit of the daily ordeal that a person without a home goes through. The cause is serious, but the event is a blast with music, camaraderie, snowflake stickers, pin buttons, team spirit, a sea of “frostilicious” 2025 CNOY toques (beanie/knit cap that can be earned by all walkers who raise at least $150 or $75 for youth,) rest stops with snacks, and more.  Also, don’t miss the free “soup kitchen” where you can warm up after the walk; soups will be provided again this year by local food vendor, Billy Sous.

It’s free to register and walk in Coldest Night of the Year, so sign up today!  The event raises money for WATTS through peer-to-peer fundraising efforts, so participants are encouraged to solicit donations to “sponsor” them for walking. There is also a fun Challenge component — friendly, tracked competitions among groups, offices, branches, businesses, national organizations, churches, etc. — to see who can raise the most money and win bragging rights.  All donors can feel good knowing your support and donations will directly benefit men and women right here in Clarke, Winchester, Frederick counties: even though CNOY is a nationwide event, the money raised stays local for WATTS.  With a goal to raise at least $75,000 this year, your support of CNOY will have a great impact for WATTS in our mission to break the cycle of homelessness one life at a time. Funds raised in the Coldest Night of the Year Walk will benefit WATTS guests at a time of the year known for historically low levels of giving.

Anyone can join this family-friendly event, and we would love to have you!  Registration is going on now at www.cnoy.com/winchester. Get together your family, friends, neighbors, businesses, co-workers, church groups, school or civic clubs, organizations, classes — whomever! Form a team of walkers, or walk individually (if you don’t have a team, we invite you to join our general WATTS team, “Walkers for WATTS.”) Keep in mind that children 12 and under must be accompanied at all times by a parent or guardian.  Also, we love furry friends, but due to insurance regulations, please leave all pets and animals at home.

Special thanks to these amazing community sponsors of Winchester’s 2025 CNOY walk: Virginia Housing, Berry Hill Logistics, Valley Health, Dream Real Estate, and Blue Flame Insurance.

We can’t wait to see YOU on February 22nd.

For more information on WATTS, visit www.watts-homelessshelter.org or contact Executive Director, Robyn Miller, at execdirector@watts-homelessshelter.org 
or 540-514-7218.