Winkler's Central Station hosted The Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) on Saturday, a nationwide family-friendly walk that raises money for local charities serving people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness. 

Executive director, Bev Wiebe, says they had a phenomenal turnout of 202 people putting their hearts, wallets, and winter boots together for the two-to-five-kilometer walk - and not just as individuals.  

"School teams, church teams, business teams, friends, book club, you name it," said Wiebe. "We're raising money towards our programming that supports homelessness and hunger in the community, so it'll go to support a lot of our food programming and the support programs that wrap around the housing tenants. It'll be well utilized."

To see so many people show up for a good cause and to celebrate all that's happening in the community was an amazing feeling, said Wiebe.

Mayor Henry Siemens gathered his own team to brave the cold in support of Central Station. 

"On my team today (are) my wife Corinna, my son Dylan, my daughter Natalia, a couple of my sisters, my nephew Alex. We've got a whole crew trying to find ways to stay a little bit warmer."

The tally on the CNOY national scoreboard indicates the total raised in Winkler now stands at over $95,000.

Since 2011, this national event has raised over $57 million for local charities in 166 Canadian communities. 100 per cent of net proceeds stay local to support CNOY charity partners.

Wiebe says they hope to make it an annual event.