The weather cooperated for U of T’s first Out in the Cold fundraising event Friday evening. Organizers were anxious about whether it would be a wet and muddy night spent raising awareness about homelessness and poverty. Luckily, fears were put to rest with a beautiful November night, just six degrees Celsius, the warmest night the event has ever had.

Founded in 2007 at the University of Waterloo, Out in the Cold is an annual student-run event held every November. Participants collected pledges towards their attempts to stand the cold for a November night. This year, Out in the Cold took place at the University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto from 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20 to 7 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21. All proceeds go to 416 Community Support for Women in Toronto and Lutherwood Families in Transition in Waterloo. The Toronto event was co-hosted by the Underwear Club and the Graduate Students’ Union’s social justice committee.

The event started with an information session at Sidney Smith hosted by community worker Ann Fitzpatrick of the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto. Fitzpatrick shared statistics regarding what Toronto’s underprivileged currently face. The session highlighted that there is both a visible and an invisible homeless problem that has been developing for years in the city, and has only worsened this year due to the country’s recent economic hardships. Families have been hard-hit by the recession, and food bank use is at a record high. With rent continually on the rise, Fitzpatrick stressed that some Torontonians spend between 70 and 90 per cent of their income on shelter.

After Fitzpatrick delivered these sombre statistics to the crowd, the participants were ready for a night filled with discussion and revelry.

At Hart House Circle, the group was greeted with their bedding for the night: cardboard boxes.

“Safety is a focus for us, we want the fundraisers to stay warm and let the night evolve organically” explained Jenna van Draanen, who organized the event, as she bustled from group to group.

In the last three years, Out in the Cold has raised over $8,500, Nick Petten proudly pointed out. With events now taking place at both campuses, the positive momentum is keeping the group motivated. Petten and van Draanen, both Waterloo grads, were confident that they would each raise over $200 dollars each. Another $250 was raised at a pub night event at O’Grady’s Tap and Grill, hosted November 18.

For more information on how to get involved, visit outinthecold.ca.