On Sunday, Sidney’s Community Safety Building will welcome a group of first responders, veterans, serving military members and civilians that are part of the Wounded Warrior Run BC raising funds for ill and injured Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans, first responders and their families.
The runners are scheduled to arrive in Sidney at 4:45 p.m. after leaving Sooke at 10 a.m. with stops at the Langford and Saanich fire departments along the way.
Run director Jacqueline Zweng said the return of this year’s race following its cancellation last year is extra motivating.
“After having to cancel our run event last year and knowing the need is greater than ever, our team is so motivated to make as much of an impact as possible. We are focused on bringing hope to our communities and raising as much as possible for life-changing and life-saving programs,” she said in a release.
The run from Sooke to Sidney serves as a warm-up to the main fundraising event scheduled to run from Sunday, Feb. 27 to March 6, when the team runs from Port Hardy to Victoria.
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The eight runners will cover a distance of more than 700 kilometres relay-style.
Wounded Warriors Canada, a privately-funded charity, provides a wide range of programs and services for individual members and families affected by operational stress injuries.
This year’s event includes a virtual option to be held Feb. 27 and March 6. It allows residents anywhere to join the team by running 1 km, 5 km, 10 km or 21 km in their respective community. Money raised will be tallied toward the main event goal of $250,000.
“The opportunity to run virtually means we can spread the impact to every community as we know that now more than ever, we need to bring a sense of hope. Thank you for joining us on this mission,” Zweng said.
For more information, see woundedwarriorrunbc.com.
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