Six days, six runners and more than 600 kilometres.
Up and down the hills and valleys of Vancouver Island, battling wind, rain and possibly even snow, six individuals will run relay-style from Port Hardy to Victoria from Feb. 15 to 20 to raise funds and awareness for Wounded Warriors Run B.C.
The cause B次元官网网址� WWRBC supports retired and serving Canadian Armed Forces members affected by post-traumatic stress disorder B次元官网网址� mirrors the issues around mental illness and needs to be brought more into the public eye, says Dave Saunders. His familyB次元官网网址檚 Subaru dealership in Colwood will host the official relay launch on Jan. 30 and the event finale Feb. 20.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of our emergency personnel are silent about it and they shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淧TSD shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be something to hide. It should be shared so as a community we can help them. They protect our community above and beyond what they are paid for. So this is the very least we can do to pay these individuals back.B次元官网网址�
is helping spearhead promotion of the Island run to help raise as much money and awareness of PTSD as possible for the cause, Saunders said.
B次元官网网址淭his (run) is difficult in the summer, let alone the winter.
B次元官网网址淚 congratulate those guys; they are willing to do it under any circumstances and my hat goes off to them.B次元官网网址�
Steve Deschamps, Channing Knull, Lorne Guthro, Mary McGregor, Sebastien Arsenault and Rob Lamothe have accepted the challenge of running through the IslandB次元官网网址檚 challenging terrain. TheyB次元官网网址檒l stop at many Royal Canadian Legion branches along the way, spreading the word and raising funds for the cause.
Lamothe said all of the runners and volunteers have a singular focus.
B次元官网网址淭his is something near and dear to me. I have been deployed multiple times and IB次元官网网址檓 very concerned about PTSD and mental illness,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淚t is not a physical injury you can see, but wounds that are not as visible are still important to deal with.B次元官网网址�
With last yearB次元官网网址檚 inaugural run raising approximately $25,000, Lamothe said the hope is to shatter that record the second time out.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a gruelling task, but itB次元官网网址檚 less about the run and more about the cause B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 not just a military issue, it is really a mainstream Canadian society issue. The stats are that one in 10 (people are) affected by mental illness. Short or long term, we should not turn a blind eye,B次元官网网址� he said. Whether those affected are or have been in uniform or not, he added, B次元官网网址測ou try to make a difference in that individualB次元官网网址檚 life.B次元官网网址�
The media launch at Saunders Subaru, 1784 Island Hwy., happens at 11 a.m. Jan. 30. The finale takes place at 5 p.m. on Feb. 20.
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