With a little over a week to go until the big day, Central Station in Winkler is putting out a final call for participants for its 2024 Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) walk.
Taking place the evening of Saturday, Feb. 24, CNOY will see Central Station supporters head out on 2 km or 5 km jaunts around town to raise awareness and funds for programs that address hunger, hurt, and homelessness in Winkler.
Last year’s inaugural walk saw 203 people take part and raise over $95,000, $40,000 more than the set goal.
Central Station’s goal this year is $50,000, and at press time Monday they were already nearly halfway there.
Executive director Anita Wiebe is feeling pretty good about their chances of hitting that target.
“Last year we definitely had a swell of support in the last couple of weeks before the walk,” she says. “So we’re really hoping to get some more walkers and to have walkers who have already signed up to get the message out there to others.”
At the start of this week, 91 walkers on 22 teams had registered to take part, though Wiebe notes they’re anticipating those numbers will climb to closer to 250 walkers and 25 teams.
She urges people to gather friends, family, and co-workers to put together a team.
“We’re really encouraging people to sign-up and get their teams together and get fundraising.”
The Winkler walk joins hundreds taking place in communities across Canada that day.
It begins and ends at the community centre (555 Main St.). Walkers will start checking in at 4 p.m. ahead of the 5 p.m. send-off. All those who raise over $150 (or $75 for youth) will receive CNOY toques to don on the walk.
The two routes will take walkers from Central Station down Main St. to Bethel Heritage Park. There, the 2 km walkers will head back, while the 5 km route continues down Pembina Ave. to 15th St. and up to and then through the Parkland area on its way back to Central Station.
Participants can enjoy warm drinks at rest stops along the way, and all walkers are invited back to Central Station for a light meal after the walk.
Walkers are welcome to sign-up right up until the walk starts, though Wiebe notes all participants need to fill out a waiver, so advanced registration—even if it’s just a few hours before—means you’ll avoid the lines the day-of.
You can register online at cnoy.org/location/winkler. You can also make an online donation there.
If you can’t make the walk itself but still want to take part, Wiebe notes there are other options.
“We have an entire team of people that are calling themselves the Beach Walkers,” she says, explaining its a team of snowbirds who aren’t in town for the actual walk, but “they’ll be walking down south.
“So even if you can’t be with us that day to walk, you can walk wherever you are on your own time.”
The funds raised from CNOY will be a welcome boost for Central Station’s programming, which serves to support families in our community.
“We have an entire population here that is at risk of being homeless, that are one paycheque away from losing housing, that are living paycheque to paycheque,” Wiebe says, explaining Central Station provides people a place to get a hearty meal, connect with local social services and supports, and build relationships with others.
“Programming that can potentially affect someone’s mental health for the positive,” she stresses. “It’s not just about food, it’s not just having a roof over your head—it’s about all those supports to be able to thrive as opposed to being in a space where they’re just getting by or not doing well.”
