Wounded Warrior Run nears fund target
The 11th annual Wounded Warrior Run B.C., with eight runners covering 800 kilometres in eight days, had raised just shy of $188,000 by Wednesday — but it’s not finished yet.
The campaign, hosted by Wounded Warriors Vancouver Island, will continue to fundraise until the end of March, in hopes of hitting the $200,000 mark by March 31.
Its previous record of $190,000 was set in 2020, when the run finished about a week before the COVID lockdown.
The event was cancelled in 2021 and resumed in 2022.
“At that time, many of the Legions opened their doors for the first time since COVID to welcome our team. That speaks volumes to the power of this run and the connections we have to the communities,” said Jacqueline Zweng, ambassador for Wounded Warrior Canada Victoria.
“I think this year it was evident that COVID is much further in the rear view and our resilient communities are bouncing back.”
The run began in 2013 with two Canadian Armed Forces members, and is now the largest fundraising event for Wounded Warriors Vancouver Island.
Participants are drawn from a cross-section of people who have service-related duties — members of the armed forces, police officers, firefighters, paramedics and service-dog handlers.
The relay-style run started on Feb. 25 in Port Hardy, with the team stopping at local Legions, community halls and ambulance, fire and police stations along the route. The run ended with a ceremony at Market Square on March 3.
Funds raised will go toward programs and services for veterans, law enforcement members and first responders suffering from operational stress injuries, which include post-traumatic stress and anxiety disorders.
The event is also an opportunity to raise awareness and further the conversation about mental health in the sector.
• For more information, or to donate, go to woundedwarriorrunbc.ca.