The Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association and Dawn to Dawn Action on Homelessness Society have joined forces with the provincial BIA’s Turn Down the Heat Week and Dawn to Dawn’s Raising the Roof campaigns.
In its second year of Raising the Roof, Dawn to Dawn joins the national campaign to help end homelessness by selling iconic toques coast to coast. Eighty per cent of funds come back to the local organization.
Representing downtown Comox merchants, Comox Business in Action is also participating.
The public is encouraged to drop off gently used sweaters at the Comox branch of the Coastal Community Credit Union, the office by the public washrooms at the Comox Centre Mall, or at the Comox Community Centre on Noel Avenue. Sweaters will be donated to the Comox branch of the Salvation Army.
For the past 15 years, the first Tuesday in February has been designated Toque Tuesday, which falls during Turn Down the Heat Week from Feb. 1 to 8.
The public is encouraged to bring gently used sweaters and other suitable items to: Coastal Community Credit Union on Fourth Street in Courtenay; Courtenay Antiques; Courtenay Elks Lodge No. 60; Hitec Screen Print/Brazen Sportswear; Laughing Oyster Book Shop; Mudsharks Coffee Bar; Rattan Plus Home & Patio; Sock Soiree; Square 1 Travel & Cruise; The Potter’s Place; Union Street Grill & Grotto; and Zocalo Café & Gallery.
Campaign goals are to raise awareness of energy conservation by asking businesses and homeowners to turn down the heat and don a sweater, and to donate sweaters, warm coats and other items to societies around the province. Last year, the Courtenay Downtown BIA worked with the Business Improvement Areas of B.C. and other BIAs provincially to raise more than 5,000 sweaters for people in need.
Dawn to Dawn’s Toque Tuesday is holding a pancake brunch in the Lower Elks Hall on Sixth Street, Tuesday, Feb. 4 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The meal is “pay what you can.”
Anyone wearing a Raising the Roof toque or who purchases one that day, or who drops off a sweater, will have brunch on the house. Members of the Glacier Kings hockey team will help serve.
Toques are available for purchase at Searle’s Shoes, Mudsharks and My Tech Guys stores in Courtenay and Comox. Those wearing a Raising the Roof Toque on Toque Tuesday will have a coffee on the house at Mudsharks.
On Saturday, the last day of Turn Down the Heat Week, Dawn to Dawn will have the second annual toque toss night at the Kings' hockey game.
reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com