10th Anniversary for National Peace Officers Memorial 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 had so valiantly given their lives in service of their community and country.
 


TheRun to Rememberis a 460-km relay that makes its 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. Not only does the run raise awareness about the memorial service, it also gives peace officers and citizens along the route the opportunity to participate in some small way if they are unable to attend the actual memorial service.
 
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.


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 Canadian Police and Peace Officers Memorial to assist with the funding of the annual memorial service

• Donations to help fund any provincial memorial service established to recognize fallen peace officers in their province.

The Toronto Police Service has joined the Peel Regional Police Service for several years in this venture, however, it was retired Inspector Doug Grady that organized a group of eight Toronto Officers in 2009. The numbers have grown over the years to the 2014 group of 61 runners that will represent the TPS as part of the estimated 300 runners that will participate this year.

This year the runners that represent the Toronto Police Service will honour the 41 officers that are listed on the Toronto Police Service Honour Roll from 1901 to present day and, in particular, Constable John Zivcic, who tragically lost his life in December 2013 after an on-duty motor vehicle collision.

All members of the Service and the public are invited to join us for the opening ceremonies on Thursday, September 25, at 8 a.m., at the Ontario Police Memorial, located adjacent to the Ontario Legislature, at the north east corner of Grosvenor Street and Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto.

Zivcic will be honoured at this time and all in attendance are invited to join in a 3-km run to 51 Division (51 Parliament Street) where there will be a short reception. The run will then continue to Ottawa.