This woman is sleeping on top of her local Home Hardware roof to raise money for North Bay area food banks

Kathie Hogan of Powassan, a small community in the North Bay region is getting ready for a chilly night on the roof of the local Home Hardware Building Centre — for a good cause.

After the cancellations of several food bank fundraisers in the North Bay region due to COVID-19, Hogan said she "had to do something." To get people motivated to reach into their pockets, Kathie Hogan, made a promise to her donors.

If she was able to raise $1,000 she vowed to rustle out her camping gear from the closet and spend the night on top of the local Home Hardware store. 

Hogan said she managed to surpass her goal last Thursday, and with Home Hardware agreeing to match donations of up to $2,000 she's managed to raise a total of about $5,000 so far.

'Donate to send Kathie camping'

"I still have to go around collecting the jars, people are still handing me money on the street. It's just been an incredible, incredible experience to be part of this small town feeling," she said, "People are throwing all sorts of bills into these jars." 

The donation jars are labelled, "Donate to send Kathie camping on the Home Hardware roof."

Well, I've fed the chickens, shoveled the driveway and now I've got to gear up for tonight.— Kathie Hogan

And so the time has come, for Hogan to deliver on her quirky promise — on Giving Tuesday no less. 

"Well, I've fed the chickens, shoveled the driveway and now I've got to gear up for tonight. It's very, very blustery here in Powassan," Hogan said, "I'm determined to go through with it, it's going to be windy and snowy." 

During her fundraising campaign, Hogan said, she's been stopped on the street by community members delightedly perplexed by the prospect of seeing her camping out on the roof.

'It's going to be fine'

She said locals have even offered up camping gear to help keep her toasty on what will likely be a chilly December night. Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the North Bay region Tuesday evening. 

According to the agencies forecast, Hogan could wake up to between 20 and 30 centimetres of snow on Wednesday morning on the Home Hardware roof. To this, Hogan said she will be bringing a shovel with her for her "cold winter's nap."

"I don't know. It's going to be fine," she said, "I have the love of the community that will keep me warm." 

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