The spirit, sweat and effort put into every mile made the run to $2 million all the more significant and special.
The GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon, which took place on Sunday, Oct. 13, announced that the $95,804 raised during this year’s event has pushed the total raised during the past 15 years to $2 million. The charity pledge program involved 21 charities where individuals were encouraged to run or walk for causes close to their heart.
Broadmead Care Society was the top fundraiser this year with $22,523, a total that included the top individual fundraiser, Jennifer Jasechko with $9,383.
John McGoff had the second highest total, with $7,423 earmarked for the Kidney Foundation of Canada. Mandy Parker, also from Broadmead Care Society, was third with $3,200.
Cathy Noel, race director and general manager of the Victoria Marathon Society, said she looks forward to working with the diverse group of charities involved in the event every year.
“Each organization has the passion, energy and goals of what they want to achieve.”
The pledge program helps them work with each group to get that much closer to reaching those goals.
“We are very proud of the $2 million we have been able to raise through the marathon partnerships,” Noel said. “Now on to $3 million.”
The event, a celebration of 40 years of the Victoria Marathon, went off smoothly because of the efforts of many people, Noel noted.
“We couldn’t have asked for better weather. Thanks to the 1,600 volunteers that were part of the Peninsula Co-op volunteer crew for hosting all the participants and supporters on race weekend. I am very proud of the achievements of all the runners and walkers, and a huge thank you to our suppliers, sponsors, and the residents of Victoria and Oak Bay.”
Shannon Donnelly, fund development co-ordinator for Broadmead Care, said that the support each member of the Strides for Broadmead Team received from friends, family and their fundraising initiatives was inspiring.
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“This was our first time out of the gate and what a run,” Donnelly said in a media release. The pledge program has been a wonderful opportunity to bring people together from all sides of the Broadmead Care family, she said.
Participating charities this year included, Autism Speaks Canada, BC Cancer Foundation, Broadmead Care, Bridges for Women Society, Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Cerebral Palsy Association of BC, Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre, GoodLife Kids Foundation, Greater Victoria Lifetime Networks, HeroWork Program Society, KidSport Greater Victoria, MOVE Adapted Fitness and Rehabilitation Society of BC, NEED2 Suicide Prevention, Education and Support, Pacific Autism Family Network, Royal Le Page Shelter Foundation, Special Olympics BC – Victoria, The Kidney Foundation of Canada, BC & Yukon, Island Prostate Centre, Threshold Housing Society, United Way Greater Victoria, and the Victoria Hospitals Foundation.
Applications for next year’s GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon, which includes four events on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, are being accepted and will be reviewed and approved on an ongoing basis until March 2020. For more information, run or walk over to raceroster.com.
