The Blue Sea Foundation’s Coldest Night of the Year is a “winteriffic,” family-friendly, 2 or 5 km fundraising walk in support of local charities that serve people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness.

Since 2011, $75 million has been raised in 190 Canadian communities. All local proceeds stay local.

In Prince Edward County, this means the Picton United Church Foodbank netted over $65,000 this weekend thanks to the first local Coldest Night event in PEC history.

Over 150 walkers, supported by over 700 donors, raised the eye-popping sum. The walkers, wearing their distinctive blue and yellow toques, moved along Main Street Saturday evening.

Three teams out of a total of 26 raised over $10,000 each: the County Huggers, captained by Tara Wood, the Picton United Church Foodbank, captained by Seona Halsey; and Mutual Hearts on the Move captained by Taryn Bondy.

Best in Canada

“Nationally, Picton was the number one fundraiser when compared against other first-year CNOY locations. That speaks to the ambition of our walkers and the compassion of our community,” the Foodbank’s Community Engagement Volunteer Mark Houghton told the Gazette.

About 6,000 people are food insecure in Prince Edward County. In total, food bank usage averages around 1,500 per month. Mr. Houghton estimates about 4,500 local residents go without meals week-to-week or month-to-month.

“Numbers like these are not okay. But the 150 people that showed up today are willing to do something about it. They all stepped up, talked to their friends, family, colleagues, and raised some money,” said Mr. Houghton. “This goes a long way, especially since food bank use is up 40 percent in the first two months of 2026. “

The Picton United Church Foodbank’s online fundraising portal is open until March 31 for those that still wish to support a walker or a team.