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Legacy Run postponed to September

The fourth annual Legacy Run to End Family Violence has been postponed due to COVID-19.
LegacyRunPostponedWeb
The fourth annual Legacy Run to End Family Violence, which will raise funds for Community Links, has been postponed due COVID-19. File Photo/Airdrie City View

The fourth annual Legacy Run to End Family Violence has been postponed due to COVID-19.

“It’s always a disappointment when you have to change something, but I think we were very lucky because we had the opportunity to postpone,” said Laurie-Jacob Toews, a member of the event’s planning committee. “We know that there’s lots of other events that have had to cancel outright.”

The run was originally scheduled for April 19. With restrictions on gatherings currently in place, the event would have been unable to go ahead, Jacob-Toews said. Instead, organizers are now planning to hold the event Sept. 27.

“The biggest thing for us is that this run isn’t just about the fundraising, it’s also about the awareness,” she said. “Because it’s about family violence, we really wanted to still have that opportunity if at all possible.”

The Legacy Run is held in honour of Andrea Conroy, who was killed in 2012 at the age of 33 in an act of domestic violence.

Jacob-Toews said organizers hope to prevent a tragedy like that from occurring in the future, and during this pandemic, want to remind the community that just because everyone is physically distancing doesn’t mean they are isolated – RCMP, Community Links and Airdrie and District Victims Assistance Society remain available for anyone in a dangerous situation.

“The biggest message, at this time and always, is that people are not alone,” Jacob-Toews said. “If someone is feeling like they’re in a situation that’s unhealthy or unsafe, there are places they can go.”

Jacob-Toews said organizers were fortunate that all the sponsors signed on to the event were supportive of changing the date and willing to stay involved, meaning no money was lost. Organizers remain optimistic that, although the event is on hold, it will still be a success in the fall.

“We know that there’s going to be lots of people that are excited to do the run, but depending on where things are at, there’s also going to be a lot people who are still cautious about being in groups of people,” Jacob-Toews said. “It might not be as big of a fundraiser as it has been in the past, and we know that.”

She noted that, although registration had dropped off because of the virus, close to 100 runners had registered by March 6.

“We usually expect between 200 and 250 runners, so that was kind of on par for that,” she said.

Registration remains open, and although a deadline has not been set, Jacob-Toews said prospective runners likely have until mid-September to sign up at legacyendurancce.com/legacyrun. Three routes ­– Airdrie’s only half-marathon, a 10 kilometre (km) and a five km ­– are available, at a cost of $70 for the half-marathon or $50 for each the five- and 10-km runs. Groups of four or more can register together for a discounted rate of $50 for the half-marathon or $40 for two other courses.

If limitations on gatherings persist into the fall, Jacob-Toews said organizers may consider shifting to a virtual event, where runners complete a route on their own and then post their times and share pictures after the fact.

“That’s something we’ll reassess as we get further in,” she said. “We’ll regroup at the end of June to see where things are at, and then we’ll go from their, but we’re really hoping that by September we can make this work in some way.”

Depending on the success of this year’s rescheduled event, the Legacy Run may make a permanent move to the fall.

“We’ve talked about changing the date of the run, so we’re looking at it as a really great opportunity to try something different,” Jacob-Toews said. “Maybe a later date is going to be great for us.”

Ben Sherick, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @BenSherick

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