Walk for Warmth keeps the heat on during winter

MONROE COUNTY — On Saturday, Nov. 2, the Monroe County Opportunity Program will hold the 34th annual Walk for Warmth, which looks to raise money to provide households in danger of having their heat shut off during winter.

"It is hard to know how many homes need extra money to keep their heat on, however we do know that the poverty rate in Monroe County hovers around 10%, equating to approximately 15,000 low-income households," said Stephanie Kasprzak, the Opportunity Program's executive director.

The walk has a fundraising goal of $15,000, which was met last year. The run starts at 10 a.m. and begins at the Opportunity Center at the ALCC. From there, it goes through the City of Monroe, including along the River Walk, for about one mile.

While there is no direct fee for participation, according to Kasprzak, if the participants raise at least $25 they will receive a free t-shirt. Additionally, there will be silent auction baskets that participants can bid on.

To sign up, those wishing to participate are encouraged to go to https://monroecountyop.org/special-events.html .

— Connor Veenstra can be reached at cveenstra@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Walk for Warmth keeps the heat on during winter