The organizers of the 7th Annual Run the Rock Marathon, Half Marathon and 8km on Texada Island have donated $500 to the United for BC Wildfire Recovery Fund and are encouraging other events on the Coast to consider making a donation.
“We know that many people have already donated to Red Cross or other programs to support those who had to be evacuated, and it’s great to see some people heading home,” said race director Rob McWilliam.
“But after the immediate emergency, public attention often moves on to the next big thing, while the communities are left to struggle with the long-term effects. When the Kamloops Marathon was canceled recently, the organizers encouraged runners to donate their entry fee to United for B.C. Wildfire Recovery instead of asking for a refund. The United Way is trying to build a fund to support the social structure of communities that were impacted past the immediate crisis phase. This is exactly the type of initiative we want to assist.”
Race marshall Ken Barton said, “We are a small rural community and are very conscious of the dangers of wildfire, and the devastating impact it can have on a small community so we wanted to help. We are raising funds for the Texada Food Bank this year, but thought we could dig a little deeper and support United for BC Wildfire Recovery as well. If a small event like ours can find some funds, hopefully bigger events can also pitch in.”
The Run the Rock Marathon, Half & 8K take place on Sunday, Aug. 27, on Texada Island. For details, see www.runtexada.ca.
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