WATTS President Challenges Local Community to Seek No. 1 Slot in National Homeless Walk on Feb. 24

WATTS (Winchester Area Temporary Transitional Shelter) will host their 2^nd annual ‘Coldest Night of the Year’ (CNOY) Walk on Saturday, February 24, 2024. This winter-friendly, family-friendly fundraiser walk takes place in over 40 participating cities all over the U.S. that day; it is an international event that started in Canada in 2011. WATTS is enthusiastic about hosting the Walk for Winchester, VA, again this year – last year, they were the second-largest location for a CNOY event in the U.S.! Over 400 walkers, 59 teams, and 700 donors raised $65,000 to support WATTS’s mission to end homelessness one life at a time in Winchester, Frederick, and Clarke Counties. This year, WATTS’ goal is to earn the number one spot across the entire U.S., so they need your help.

WATTS Board President Mike Ashby feigns surprise to have his picture taken at the 2023 Walk. Mike is sporting his 2023 Coldest Night of the Year brand sweatshirt (received for being one of the first 100 people in the nation to raise over $500), a Team Captain pin, and a Gold Star pin for raising over $1,000. Photo Courtesy Cindee Steele.

The Board President for WATTS, Mike Ashby, is a local businessman who has challenged the community to partner with WATTS in supporting the 2024 CNOY Winchester event.

Ashby recently shared his epic plan of attack to spread awareness about the Walk and solicit donations. “I picked one area to focus on and then went after it: social media, specifically Facebook,” Ashby said.

Ashby targeted his favorite Facebook Groups, such as former softball teammates (he asked them to donate the amount that equals their jersey number), his James Wood High School Alumni friends, and then popular groups such as Frederick County Social Collective, What’s Happening Winchester/Frederick County, and Let’s Talk About Winchester and Frederick County.

“I tag between 25 – 50 people in each group. I have found that tagging smaller groups gets the attention of Facebook users better than tagging larger groups. I identify the event, the date and time, the need for donations, and just go with it,” said Ashby. (It is important to remember that tagging too many people on Facebook can get you banned, so use discretion.)

No donation amount is too small – “I always include the catchphrase, ‘snowballs make snowmen,’ to impress upon them that all amounts are appreciated,” Ashby said. “Folks have big hearts, and every donation counts and adds up.”  Through his approach, Ashby has garnered over 50 donations so far.

Walkers took off with enthusiasm and maps in hand as they embraced the cold for the 2023 ‘Coldest Night of the Year’ walk supporting WATTS. This year’s walk will take place on February 24, 2024 from 4-7 pm. Photo courtesy Robyn Miller.

All smiles as the walkers completed their 2k or 5k route around downtown Winchester for the 2023 ‘Coldest Night of the Year’ walk. A simple soup kitchen is offered at Braddock Street UMC Fellowship Hall following the walk. Photo courtesy Cindee Steele.

Ashby also personally thanks everyone who donates via a private message; acknowledgment is a key part of successful fundraising and goes a long way. Ashby’s seven-person team is in seventh place nationwide for funds raised. As the general team for WATTS that anyone is welcome to join and walk with, all donations gifted generically come into this team. Overall, WATTS has 80 teams registered so far and 356 walkers. They continue to hold the second-place position for all U.S. locations.

With just two weeks to go, Ashby and the WATTS Board are pushing hard to reach WATTS’ goal of $65,000, 100 teams, and over 700 walkers this year. They have reached out to many media outlets to get the message out about the Walk – The Winchester Star, Warren Frederick County Report, Royal Examiner, Clarke Monthly, NV Daily, Breakfast with Barry Lee, Town Talk with Mike McCool, The River 95.3 FM and “Valley Today” podcast with Janet Michael, “Joy in the Mornings” Sunday AM show on WINC, and OldTownist Magazine have all run articles about Coldest Night of the Year or had WATTS staff do guest segments on their shows. White Oak Media Services shot footage at last year’s event, then taped a follow-up interview with Executive Director Robyn Miller and edited a 2024 promo video for WATTS’ Winchester event this year together. WATTS is so grateful for all the help and support.

Plan to step outside the warmth and comfort of home for a few hours one evening – the Walk is open to everyone to come out and get a small taste of what it might be like to be homeless, walking all the time in the cold. It is a great opportunity for children and youth, especially to get involved with WATTS since they cannot help directly at the shelter (WATTS is a low-barrier shelter, which means everyone must be over 18.) Ashby wants to impress upon young people that it is important to feel compassion for people experiencing homelessness; charity includes sharing empathy and giving.

Winchester Coldest Night of the Year 2k route map. www.cnoy.com/location/winchester

Winchester Coldest Night of the Year 5k route map. www.cnoy.com/location/winchester

Anyone who wants to join the Walk, scheduled to step off at 5:00 pm on Saturday, February 24, should register online to accept the required waiver. There is an option to choose the 2-kilometer (1.25 mile) or 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) Walk, both of which follow along sidewalks through downtown Winchester and start and end at Braddock Street United Methodist Church (115 Wolfe Street in Winchester). The total event time is between 4 pm and 7 pm. Participants are encouraged to donate money and solicit financial sponsorships between now and then, all to help WATTS, but registration is completely free, and contributions are not required. An incentive, however, is that anyone who raises at least $150 (or $75 for youth aged 17 and under) will receive a 2024 Coldest Night of the Year winter beanie to recognize their awesome fundraising efforts!

Children aged 12 and under must always be accompanied by a parent or guardian on the Walk, and pets are not allowed due to insurance regulations.

CNOY walkers will also experience a simple soup kitchen after completing the Walk. Braddock Street United Methodist Church congregants will serve soups crafted by local food truck owner Billy Sous, but do not expect to fill them up – they will be a fundamental meal of bread and soup to mimic the uncertainty and desperation a homeless person experiences.

You can help raise funds for WATTS to support the men and women they serve in Winchester, Frederick, and Clarke Counties through participating in WATTS fundraisers like Coldest Night of the Year. Last season, WATTS supported more than 300 individuals in our area who were experiencing homelessness. Already this season, their Overnight Shelter has served over 100 unique individuals in 13 weeks, and their daytime Warming Center has seen over 200 unique individuals come through in 10 weeks. There is great need, but WATTS is also seeing results – 7 individuals in that time have been able to transition out of WATTS and into more stable housing, and WATTS has helped countless guests obtain IDs, jobs, sober living arrangements, and more. WATTS Executive Director Robyn Miller said, “The money we raise will support WATTS locally in our mission to end homelessness one life at a time. Our guests saw you walking for them last year, and they were touched.”

WATTS is grateful for its cooperative relationship with the City of Winchester to host this event, and to the Winchester Sheriff’s Office, Winchester Police Department, and Winchester Fire & Rescue Department for their planned presence and coordination assistance on Walk Day, as well as their support year-round.

Registration and more information about Coldest Night of the Year is available at www.cnoy.com/location/winchester. Donations for CNOY will be accepted through March 31.

For more on WATTS, visit www.watts-homelessshelter.org or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.