Support St. Gerard's Parish at the Coldest Night of the Year

I was approached a few weeks ago by Gay Abuan-Summers, Pastoral Program Coordinator at St. Gerard, about participating in the Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY 2026) walk in Stanley Park on February 28. It took me about five seconds to decide.

I had taken part in similar walks before, though not since my own stay as a “guest of the government,” in a hospital, not a prison. These walks have been graciously merciful to me, but I still had some concerns. I said yes and joked that she might have to push me in a wheelchair. Gay said, “Sure.” When I asked whom we would be supporting, she shared that we would walk for the Calgary Dream Centre and its programs. She added that she would be walking in honour of her late husband, Ryan Summers, and to mark what would have been his 50th birthday this February. Ryan was not only a Catholic gentleman; he was also blessed to be a good provider.

Not everyone is as fortunate as Gay and Ryan; Homelessness, hunger, despair, addiction and substance dependency can suck hope, joy and love from our souls. Most of us have been blessed to avoid these issues, and some of us are paycheque to paycheque or tragedy away from disaster. The statistics are harsh; every day, there are 2,500 people who are experiencing homelessness in Calgary, and 115,000 people who are at risk of homelessness in Calgary. In Alberta in 2024, 1,181 people died from an opioid overdose. That is a lot of trauma.

That trauma can be changed and corrected.  We can be that change. We can’t do it alone; we can do it with others. The Calgary Dream Centre (CDC) provides Hope for men, women and families. Like St. James, we have an opportunity to supplement our prayers for help with action.

Join Team YYC Heart Warmers from St. Gerard’s on February 28th, 2026, as we walk together in a family-friendly fundraiser to support CDC through the Coldest Night of the Year walk (CNOY 2026) in Stanley Park. You can choose to walk 2 km or 5 km, donate or raise funds, or volunteer for the night of the walk. You can join as families, individuals or other groups. We would like to invite other groups or individuals in the Diocese to join us.

Our plan is to say the Rosary as we walk, and you can dedicate that Rosary to someone you know and love. In the Church, as in life, showing up is half the battle. True connection starts with participation. As a bonus, you might be able to witness someone’s strength and endurance by pushing a geezer in a wheelchair.

• It is easy to join: just visit the website, find our Team YYC Heart Warmers, and sign up to get a pledge form and raise some money for a very good cause. If you are unable to walk that evening, you can make a pledge here.
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Thanks for thinking about this. We look forward to walking with you to help others who need our help. 

Written by Deacon Rob McLean.