Coming Together on the Road2Hope
When I woke up the day of the Road2Hope 5k run, I must admit I was nervous. I had never participated in a charity run before and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Once arriving at Confederation Park, my nerves began to ease. It was a beautiful fall morning, and there was a feeling of excitement in the air. Then as the day continued, I was pleasantly surprised by the nature of the participants.
One of the first things that I noticed was the diversity of people who had all come out to walk or run for a cause of their choice. While I was running, I saw people of all ages, from young to old. It was incredible! The amount of support that was felt in the crowd could not be ignored. Many would flash a smile, or say “You can do it” and
“You’re almost there.” Additionally, at the St. Joseph’s Villa Foundation tent, all the students from St. Mary Catholic Secondary School were met with cheerful greetings and positive remarks. I found that this supportive attitude helped me finish the run with a strong sense of community and a smile on my face.
This year the goal for Team Villa was to raise enough money to purchase much needed garden security door systems for resident home areas. I’m very fortunate that my grandparents haven’t needed to access support from a foundation such as the Villa, but I wanted to help raise funds for others who have family living there. Mr. Don Davidson challenged our school community to raise $2,000, which would fund the purchase of three new security door systems, and thanks to the determination of my fellow Crusaders, we were able to surpass this goal!
The Road2Hope helped me not only appreciate the importance of participating in local charity events, but also showed me a prime example of what coming together for a common cause truly means.