“Run To Remember” Stops At Constable Chris Garrett Memorial Park In Cobourg
Video of “Run To Remember”
The National Peace Officers’ Memorial “Run to Remember ended the first leg of their three day journey at Chris Garrett Memorial Park in Cobourg on Thursday, September 26, 2019.
The Cobourg Police Pipes and Drums played while the runners ran through the park and up to the memorial called “Heroes Flight” by Gerald Gladstone in honour of Constable Chris Garrett who was killed in the line of duty in May 2004.
Waiting for them were Cobourg Mayor John Henderson, Councillor Adam Bureau, Cobourg Police Inspector Jeff Shiels, Chair of the Cobourg Police Services Board Dean Pepper and Vice Chair Ron Kerr.
The primary objective of the National Peace Officers’ Memorial ‘Run to Remember’ is to raise awareness and focus attention on the annual Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Service. The annual Service is held on the last Sunday of September in Ottawa with the run occurring over a three day period immediately preceding it.
The ‘Run to Remember’ is a 460 km relay that makes it’s way through many communities between the start at the Ontario Police Memorial site in Toronto to the end at the National Memorial on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
For the runners that participate in the three day relay it is their way of fulfilling that pledge, that promise, that they will not forget those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of their community, their province and indeed their country. The long and sometimes grueling hours of running allow the participants the opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices of those brave officers whose names are etched on the Memorial Wall in Ottawa and their families who have had to endure the pain of their loss.
Besides raising awareness of the Memorial Service in Ottawa the run’s other objective is to raise funds for the following:
Trust funds established for the family of officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty
Donations towards the construction of any Memorial being built in memory of fallen peace officers
Donations to the National Police and Memorial Officers memorial Fund to assist with the funding of the annual Memorial Service
Donations to help fund any annual Provincial Memorial Service established to recognize fallen peace officers in their Province.
On Friday, the run continues on, but officers showed Today’s Northumberland what they will be presenting to Constable Garrett’s mother in Odessa.
Bob Hackenbrook who is a Detective Sgt. with Peel Regional Police Service said last year when they stopped by the Garrett home there was a ribbon on Evelyn Garrett’s door.
“I don’t know the significance of it, I’m not sure if it was the original one when Chris died.”
“But we looked at it and came up with the idea, why not get her a new ribbon.”
Each year on their way to Ottawa the run stops at the Garrett home where Constable Garrett grew up.
“It’s so special to all of us who are on the run. Chris is a Canadian hero to all of us and the fact that we are running by her house means so much to us.”
Diane Carvalho, Constable with Peel Regional Police Service took the idea and along with her mother created a new ribbon.
“I was absolutely honoured to it but I have to give credit to my mom (Maria) because she’s really good at sewing. We wanted to have something special that will last, so when we run by every year we can see that.”
“It will be my first time running by, so I’m honoured to be able to go there and present this to her.”
History of the Run
The National Peace Officers’ Memorial Run was established in 2005 when the Peel Regional Police running team, The Pacers, decided to raise awareness of the annual Police and Peace Officer’s Memorial Service held annually on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The running team wanted to create a way of raising awareness of the annual Service and at the same time pay tribute to those officers who have so valiantly given their lives in service of their community.
The runners decided that a three day run from the Ontario Police Memorial in Toronto to the National Memorial in Ottawa would be the best way of achieving this. The 460 km run was planned for the three days preceding the Memorial Service in Ottawa. Funds were also to be raised by the runners through the sale of T-shirts and by collecting donations to be directed towards Trust Funds established in memory of fallen Peace Officers from across the Country.
So on September 22nd, 2005 twenty four members of the Peel Pacers ran the relay style run over the next three days and arrived in Ottawa on Saturday September 24th. The runners then participated in the Memorial Service the next day on Parliament Hill.
This initial ‘Run to Remember’ raised significant awareness of the Memorial Service as it made it’s way through the various communities along the route. It also generated interest and enthusiasm from other peace officers from across the Province. And each year the core group of runners has been joined by numerous other officers and civilians alike who run alongside the core group at various intervals of the route.
The ‘Run to Remember’ has grown considerably since 2005. The core group of runners who participate in the entire three day relay has grown to over 200 while others join in for various portions of the run along the route. Participants now include the survivors – those family members left behind after the loss of a Peace Officer killed in the line of duty. Their presence provides the inspiration for the core group of runners to complete their journey of remembrance.
For slideshow of Constable Garrett’s funeral click link below
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love