A national run/walk event that recently expanded to Newport and Hudson, Wisconsin, is aimed at raising money for nonprofits that address homelessness and hunger.

Friends in Need Foodshelf is hosting the Newport event and River Valley Charities is hosting the Hudson event Saturday, Feb. 28, as part of the national fundraiser Coldest Night of the Year. The name refers to a season when those experiencing homelessness are enduring some of the harshest conditions.

This is the second year for the Friends in Need event and the third year for River Valley Charities. The family-friendly event is held in locations across the U.S. and Canada. While kids are welcome to join, so long as they’re monitored by an adult, pets are required to stay home.

Friends in Need Foodshelf has served residents of Cottage Grove, St. Paul Park, Newport and Grey Cloud Island since 1992. In 2025, the food bank says it distributed over 1 million pounds of food and served 48,000 people.

“The food shelf is still in need; a lot of folks are in need due to the SNAP freezes earlier in 2025,” Kurt Mazur, leader of the walking group Snow Misers, said in a Facebook post. “We need the funds to keep going strong, so we appreciate your support. We know the community is behind us.”

Proceeds from the event in Hudson will benefit several Wisconsin nonprofits: Grace Place Salvation Army, based in New Richmond, which provides emergency shelter, meals and stability programs for those experiencing homelessness; Our Neighbors’ Place, based in River Falls, which offers transitional housing, a daytime resource center, case management, and a backpack food program for children; The Farm at YMCA Camp St. Croix, based in Hudson, a youth educational farm supplying fresh, locally grown produce to area food shelves; and River Valley Charities, which supports nonprofit organizations and backpack programs serving the St. Croix Valley.

“Homelessness and hunger in western Wisconsin look a little different than it does in Minneapolis,” said River Valley Charities Executive Director Andy Johnson. “People aren’t living in tent cities. People aren’t sleeping on benches. Even though you might not see them and think about them, they are here in western Wisconsin.”

The Newport 5K walk begins at 4 p.m. and will start and end at Newport Lutheran Church, 900 15th St.

The Hudson 1- or 3-mile run/walk event will begin at 5 p.m. and start and end at Midcurrent Church, 200 First St.

Pre-registration is required; the deadline for registration is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27.

For more information, to sign up or donate for the Newport fundraiser, visit cnoy.com/location/newport. For Hudson, go to rivervalleycharities.com.

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