Central Station Community Centre has put a call out to the community to help them “grow the glow” at their fourth annual Light Up the Streets next month.
The three kilometre walk through Winkler raises funds for programming that supports those most in need, says Krista Rempel, impact director at Central Station.
“Doing this at the coldest time of the year is really a signal to people that when we go into our homes and we have our warm heaters and our fireplaces—not everybody has the ability to go back to that,” she said. “People in our community right here in Winkler do not have homes to go to. They are sleeping in the streets and in business vestibules and under trees and in dumpsters. It’s not always visible to people, but we want to bring awareness that this is happening.
“We want everyone to be aware as they’re walking through town that day that this cold, this is some people’s everyday reality.”
This year’s walk sets out from the community centre (555 Main St.) on Saturday, Feb. 21. Registration will run from 4-5 p.m. The walk will start at 5 p.m., starting and ending at Central Station. It will be followed by a warm meal for all participants.
The 2025 walk raised over $96,000 for Central Station’s many programs that seek to help individuals and families move toward long-term stability. That includes providing access to warm meals, safe and welcoming spaces, and support navigating housing, income supports, and essential community resources.
Every dollar raised stays in the community, Rempel stressed, and the importance of this event to the community centre’s operations can’t be overstated.
“This is our largest fundraiser of the year,” she said. “This will fund a good portion of programing at Central Station, and staff salary so that we can deliver the programming. It allows us to continue to offer the things that we do and also to expand and to be able to do the work we’re doing in poverty reduction.
“This money allows us to keep advocating for systematic barriers to be removed and for programming that really focuses in on exactly what it is that keeps people in the cycle of poverty. We want to break people out of that.”
You can support Light Up the Streets by coming down that day to participate as a walker (individually or as part of a team), collecting pledges, making a donation, or coming on board as a corporate sponsor.
Registration and donation details are available online at winklercentralstation.ca/luts.
New this year is a kids colouring contest. Children in Gr. 6 and under can pick up a colouring sheet at the community centre or download it from the website above. Return the completed piece to Central Station for display and a chance to win a gift card prize.
Walk participants will also each be given a voucher they can use to enter to win one of several prize packages up for grabs. The draw for those will be held while the walk is happening so the winners can be announced at the meal afterwards.
However you can get involved, Central Station is grateful for the support.
“If you can come and walk, that’s wonderful. If you can raise funds from friends and family and businesses you may have a connection to, that’s amazing,” Rempel said. “And if all you can do is help us spread the word and talk about it, share it on social media, we need that help too.
“We will accept it all, and we’re so appreciative. We’ve always had such a generous community,” she added, noting that generosity is what allows them reach out to so many struggling families. “Every single person here has a place at our table. That’s our motto, and that’s what we hold true to.”
