Ottawa’s Freezin’ for a Reezin’ kicks off 2024 campaign on Dec. 6

There are plenty of hearty souls who brave the elements each winter for sports, activities or just plain fun, and this Friday they will have that opportunity again, with a deserving outcome in mind.

That’s when Freezin’ for a Reezin’ returns.

The 16th annual annual benefit for the Community Food Basket of Ottawa will take place in and around the studios of WCMY Radio, 216 W. Lafayette St.

From 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., it will feature interviews with local celebrities, musical performances by several Ottawa school choirs and bands and, of course, the giving.

All of that on a day when temperatures in the drive-up donation lanes are not expected to exceed 30 degrees.

“Freezin’ for a Reezin’ is the single biggest day of the year for us,” CFBO executive director Marissa Vicich said, “and it’s been a while since we’ve had a really cold one. Maybe two years ago, people were coming back in the building to drop their coats because it was so warm outside. I understand it’s going to be a little chilly this year, but that’s OK.

“Everyone is always so generous and we look forward to seeing everyone Friday. It’s going to be a full day of entertainment and community … And community is always most forefront in our minds.”

Vicich said that years ago when the event was more a food drive, it would stock its shelves for around three months. However, if it were operating at the same scale now, that same amount of food would be “gone in less than a month.”

“COVID helped change that a lot, obviously, so for those reasons, we’ve made it more of a fundraiser than a food drive,” Vicich said. “We’ve said for a long time that we have more buying power, that the money seems to go a lot further with us with our resources, business partnerships and things like that.

“Because the funds raised really determine a lot of what we’re do in the next year as far as our programs go, all of those funds are put right back into our food, nothing else. Not overhead, not other expenses, just the food.”

Last year, the event raised $84,593 toward the purchase of food for the CFBO, which is just about settled into it new 10,500-square-foot facility located at 725 Fulton St.

But keep in mind that this is just the launching of the campaign, which runs through Jan. 10. After this week, people interested in giving monetarily or with food can contribute at the CFBO’s website, ottawafoodbasket.org., in person or by mail to the new address.