AUBURN – Every winter, the Abused Women’s Advocacy Project holds a walk inside the Auburn Mall to raise money.

Most years, the 5K jaunt is the organization’s biggest moneymaker. This year, it fell on a bad traveling day.

The 11th annual Winter Walk Against Violence was held Saturday. It started at 8 a.m., in the middle of a big, messy snowstorm.

Most years, about 150 people participate in the event. Only 50 showed up Saturday.

“It was awful out,” said AWAP Director Chris Fenno. “I can’t even believe that anybody showed up.”

The agency, which offers support, services and shelter for people suffering from their partners’ abuse, was hoping to raise $20,000 at the event. So far, they’ve collected only half of that.

But Fenno hopes it is not too late to make up the difference.

She is encouraging walkers who had signed up but couldn’t make it because of the weather to walk on their own, collect their pledges and bring them to AWAP’s office in the Bates Mill.

Those who need a place to walk are invited to do their laps at the Bates Mill sometime over the next two weeks. They simply have to contact AWAP to set up a time.

Free ice scrapers, T-shirts and fleece scarves are still available for anyone who brings in pledges.

The walk is one of two big fund-raisers that AWAP holds each year. The other, which is held in the summer, challenges people to find their way through a maze in a cornfield.

All pledges are used to held AWAP provide services to victims of domestic violence in Franklin, Oxford and Androscoggin counties.

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