February 6, 2012

Tomorrow is National Toque Tuesday, an event organized by Raising the Roof to "put a (cheery red) cap on youth homelessness". Across Canada, from dawn to dusk, volunteers will take to streets, shopping malls and transit hubs to encourage commuters to purchase a toasty-warm toque in support of homeless youth. The goal this year is to sell 50,000 toques.

So if you see someone selling a toque tomorrow, consider picking one up. They're stylish, they're ten bucks each, and they can help make a real difference: past campaign sales have helped Raising the Roof to grant almost $3.3 million to 145 local community agencies to help the estimated 65,000 Canadian youth who are without a place to call home.

We also want to see how you look in your Raising the Roof toque. Tweet a pic of yourself in your new toque to @strombo, with the hashtag #ToqueTues. We'll update this post with a selection of pics of you looking great in your new toque.

Here's a list of events and Toque Tuesday partners - stop by and grab a toque if you can:

Alberta

Edmonton: City Hall, One Sir Winston Churchill Square - 7:30-9:00 a.m. - Homeward Trust Toque Tuesday media launch

Camrose: 4825 51 Street - 8:00-9:30 a.m. - Camrose Open Door Association toque sale

Calgary: 111 5 Ave - 7:00 a.m.-1:15 p.m. - McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Association & Servants Anonymous toque sale

British Columbia

Vancouver: 969 Burrard Street, in front of Waterfront Skytrain Station, Granville Skytrain Station, Burrard Skytrain Station, Cambie at Broadway Skytrain Station - Church from 7:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Skytrains from 7:00 a.m. -9:00 a.m. - Pacific Community Resources Society toque sale

Langford: Walmart at 866 Attree Ave. - 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. - Out of the Rain toque sale

Newfoundland and Labrador

St. John's: Memorial University campus cafeteria - 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Toque sale, Atlantic Place front lobby - 10:00 a.m-4:00 p.m. - Toque sale, 120 LeMarchant Road - 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. - Choices for Youth toque sale, Hungry Heart Café - Rawlin's Cross - 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. - Toque sale

Nova Scotia

Halifax: Scotia Square Mall, Maritime Centre, Parklane Mall and Ferry Terminal, Dalhousie University Campus - 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. - YWCA Halifax & Supportive Housing for Young Mothers toque sale

Yarmouth: Royal Bank, Yarmouth - 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. - SHYFT Youth Services toque sale

Ontario

Toronto: Metro Hall Rotunda (55 John Street), Subway Stations (Finch, Shepard, Eglinton, St. Clair, Bloor, Dundas, Queen, Union (GO), St. Andrew, Queen's Park, Islington) - 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. - Houselink and St. Christopher toque sales

Ajax: GO Stations (Oshawa, Whitby, Pickering) - Morning Rush Hour - Durham Youth Housing & Support Services toque sales

St. Catharines: Market Square, King St. (downtown) - 7:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m. - Mayor's Pancake Breakfast

Sudbury: New Sudbury Shopping Centre at 1349 Lasalle Blvd., Southridge Mall at 1933 Regent Street, Rainbow Centre at 40 Elm Street, Tom Davies Square at 200 Brady Street - 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. - Sudbury Action Centre for Youth toque sale

Markham: Unionville GO Station, Richmond Hill GO Station, TTC Finch Station, Newmarket GO Station - 6:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. - Pathways for Children, Youth, and Families of York Region toque sale

Hamilton: Mohawk College at Fennell & West 5th - 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. - Wesley Urban Ministries toque sale

Welland: Welland Market Square - 7:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. - The Hope Centre Toque Tuesday Breakfast

Stratford: Northwestern Secondary - 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. - Stratford/Perth Shelterlink toque sale

London: The Cornerstone, 332 Richmond Street - 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. - Youth Opportunities Unlimited toque sale

Ottawa: Rideau Centre at 50 Rideau Street, #300, City Hall at 110 Laurier Ave. West, Adobe System at 343 Preston St., Bell Canada at 160 Elgin Street Floor 19, OC Transpo-Hurdman Station at 1432 Riverside Dr - 7:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m. - Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa toque sales

Mississauga: Clark GO Station, Brampton GO Station - 6:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. - Our Place Peel toque sale

Quebec

Saint-Hyacinthe: Galeries de Saint-Hyacinthe, Canadian Tire Saint-Hyacinthe - All Day - Maison Le Baluchon toque sale

Montreal: Metro Berri-UQAM, Metro Place Bonaventure, Gare Centrale, Metro Cartier, Metro Longueuil - All Day - Spectre de rue-Tapaj toque sale

Quebec City: Place Youville - All Day - RAP Jeunesse des Laurentides toque sale

Related stories on Strombo.com:

Twitter Gives A Voice To The Homeless

Sir Richard Branson Tackles Youth Homelessness

Sources:

Raising The Roof's Toque Tuesday Page