Acton Red Nose Day Feb. 6: Helping fund a future hospice

By: Christian Collington, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TheIFP.ca

 

From local grocery stores to kindergarten classrooms, red noses will be popping up in the community.

 

For Acton resident Nancy Wilkes, the organizer who helped relaunch Red Nose Day in 2023, the event is about more than just a bit of winter silliness; it’s a tribute to a local resident and a vital fundraiser for the community’s future.

 

This year’s celebration carries extra weight as it marks what would have been the 100th birthday of the event’s founder, Jack Carpenter.

 

Carpenter launched the tradition Lighten Up, Canada in 1992, to combat the dreariness of February and encourage residents to wear red noses, choosing his own birthday — Feb. 6 — as the permanent date for the festivities.

 

“I just think it’s monumental in the sense that we’re able to celebrate him, his birthday and all that he did for Acton,” Wilkes said.

 

While Wilkes did not know Carpenter personally, she revived the tradition alongside Angela Tyler, whose father worked closely with the late founder.

 

Since the revival, the mission has evolved to support the Townsend Smith Foundation, as the organization works to build a hospice residence in North Halton.

 

Wilkes, a member of the Rotary Club of Acton for 12 years, chose the foundation because hospice care is a cause “near and dear” to her heart.

 

Wilkes said involvement has increased steadily since 2023 as new residents learn about the town’s history.

 

She also noted that in 2024 and 2025, the initiative raised more than $2,000 across the two years for the new hospice.

 

Wilkes also ensures the joy of red noses reaches the youngest citizens by donating noses to local kindergarten classes and teachers.

 

“It’s just to try and give them a smile on their face, in the dreary (days) of February,” she said.

 

For those looking to join the sea of red, noses are available for $2 at Acton Optical (80 Mill St. E.), Sobeys (372 Queen St.), McDonald’s (374 Queen St.), the Acton Curling Club (242 Churchill Rd. N.), and the Salvation Army store (130 Mill St. E.).

 

Wilkes noted that the Town of Halton Hills is a supporter of the cause and will ensure “crossing guards and staff have red noses for the day.”

 

For those who can’t make it to a store, Wilkes is offering to make local deliveries to ensure everyone has a chance to participate.

 

“Acton has very quickly become my home and my community,” Wilkes said. “I hope everybody has a happy day on Friday.”

 

The foundation has revealed its design for a state-of-the-art patient and family-centred hospice at Trafalgar Road and 5 Side Road, to serve North Halton and beyond. It has projected that the organization will need to raise $25 million in order to build and operate the hospice residence.