COTS Walk

About the Walk

Founded in 1988, the COTS Walk is one of our oldest and most important peer-to-peer fundraisers. Every year walkers of all ages from businesses, schools, religious organizations, and neighborhoods come together from all over the region to participate. The Walk begins and ends in Battery Park with music from Jenni & the Jazz Junketeers, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and fun activities.

This family-friendly event guides Walkers along a 3.6-mile route through downtown Burlington visiting some of the shelters and facilities that COTS operates. At this event, COTS seeks to illustrate the path a person experiencing homelessness might take when utilizing COTS services to educate our community about homelessness in our region. Bring your friends, family, coworkers, dogs, and strollers…All are welcome! 

New on the route 2024:  In 2024, we were able to walk by Main Street Family Housing, a multi-family apartment building that will provide 16 units of permanent, deeply affordable housing for families experiencing homelessness.

New on the route 2025: This year, you will be able to walk past our new warming shelter on Pearl Street!

This year's theme

The COTS Walk is designed to be educational, engaging, and interactive. Our 2025 Walk theme, which will be incorporated into all aspects of the Walk is: "Build a better future."

Walker Resources:

Download the Walker Information Packet Here.

Save the Date!

Please join us! 

When: First Sunday in May; Sunday May 4th, 2025.

Where: Battery Park

Registration: begins at 1pm

Walk time: begins at 2pm

Who Walks?

Walkers of all ages, from businesses, schools, social and religious organizations, and neighborhoods come together from all over the region to participate in the annual COTS Walk.

Why Walk?

• To raise public awareness about homelessness in our community and to raise money.
• To support COTS shelters and services for Vermonters who are homeless or are at risk of losing their homes.