Saturday, April 13, 2019 ~ LANGFORD
by Mary P Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
An overcast sky with a slight drizzle falling on the crowd was a fitting weather temperament for today’s Sarah Beckett Memorial 5km walk/run in Langford.
Crowding in behind Belmont Secondary School for the race start ahead of 10 am were local dignitaries, West Shore RCMP, first responders, and a wide cross-section of the west shore community. There was a bit of a ‘business fair’ with booths set up on the artificial turf field and school patio representing businesses and local organizations.
Langford Mayor Stew Young and West Shore RCMP Detachment Commander Todd Preston were introduced by Ed Bain of 100.3 The Q to make brief remarks to the crowd.
Mayor Young commended the community for backing the RCMP and Sarah Beckett’s family today for the run, and over the past few years since the tragic crash that took the life of Cst Beckett while on duty on the streets of Langford.
Detachment Commander Preston acknowledged the contributions and commitment of everyone involved.
This event is in memory of Cst Sarah Beckett who was killed in the line of duty on April 5, 2016. The money raised will be donated to the Constable Sarah Beckett Memorial Scholarship sponsored by the Capital Regional District (CRD) Traffic Safety Commission.
Over 900 people registered for the event at $50 (early bird) or $55 (later registration, including on the ground today), bringing the incoming funds to over $45,000 toward the scholarship fund.
About 500 runners/walkers showed up on this race day to make their way through the streets of Westhills [see route map], with many others doing a virtual run and sending in their race photo via social media to
#RunforBeckett.
Among the VIP runners were Colwood Councillors Dean Jantzen and Gordie Logan. SD62 Vice-Chair Dianna Seaton was helping out at the West Shore Rotary booth, helping with fundraising.
Many runners wore their Sarah Beckett T-Shirts that bear her 5-digit officer badge number of 51939 and the names of event sponsors including the City of Langford, CHEK News, 100.3 The Q, The Zone 91.3, Victoria HarbourCats, Western Speedy, Times Colonist, Shelly O’Connor & Associates, Westshore Dental Centre, West Bay Mechanical Ltd, Pearlman Lindholm Barristers & Solicitors, Westshore Towing and more.
The run winners acknowledgement around 1 pm will then see the event wrap up around 2 pm.
The overall event mood was upbeat and supportive for the family, with a sense of pride in bringing such a crowd together to both remember and look forward.