And so it begins.

The Wounded Warrior Run's 800-kilometre relay run to Victoria, which raises awareness, funds for veterans and first responders experiencing injury and trauma, started bright and early in the District of Port Hardy on Sunday morning (Feb. 23).

The team received a cheque for $4250 from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 237 during a dinner on Saturday night, and then left Carrot Park at 7:30 a.m. the next day, running down Highway 19 all the way to the Town of Port McNeill, where they stopped at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 281 for lunch before taking off in the afternoon for the Hamlet of Woss.

After completing 107 km on their first day, the team will stay overnight in Woss before getting up early in the morning again and tackling one of the toughest portions of the run, the 75 km trek down-island to the Village of Sayward, before continuing on to the City of Campbell River the next day and beyond.

This year's Vancouver Island team is led by Nathalie Butler who recently retired from the Canadian Armed Forces; Kevin Whiteside, a member of the Canadian Armed Forces for over 26 years; Jason Laidman, Victoria Police deputy chief; Dan Bodden, co-founder of the WWRBC; Cpl. Pat Bryant of Central Saanich Police Service; Paul Jones, RCMP Comox ValleyB次元官网网址檚 bike unit and Francesca Lott, former paramedic with BC Ambulance; and Matt Carlson, projects officer with CFB Esquimalt Base public affairs.

To donate to the run and follow the team's progress online, go to