WATCH: Three years after West Shore RCMP Const. Sarah Beckett was tragically killed in the line of duty, her legacy continues to live on. Tess van Straaten reports.
A bit of rain Saturday morning wasn’t going to stop hundreds of people from taking part in the first-ever Sarah Beckett Memorial Run.
“We’re here for Sarah and we’re here to honour her memory,” says Sarah Beckett Memorial Run race director Elyse Patten. “It’s amazing to see how much the community loves her and how much they want to be here to support her and her family.”
More than 500 runners took off from Belmont High School, with another 400 people registered for a virtual run, to remember the fallen West Shore Mountie and mother of two young boys.
“This is a very tight-knit family community here in Langford and I knew that we would have overwhelming support,” says Langford mayor Stew Young.
Participants may have had different reasons for doing the five kilometre run, but they all wanted to honour Const. Beckett, who was tragically killed three years ago when a drunk driver hit her RCMP cruiser.
“It’s a shame it had to happen because it was such a tragic and unnecessary event but if some good can come out of it, maybe it’s a small measure of comfort for people,” says one participant.
“I work with the West Shore detachment and I know Sarah touched a lot of people’s hearts,” adds another.
Police officers from across the province also took part, with several completing the run in full uniform.
Langford’s mayor says the overwhelming support shows just how much people care about first responders who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.
“If you’re serving our community, our community is there for you no matter what,” says Young. “We’re behind you all the time, all the way, and I think that’s the message here — we’re there for you.”
All of the proceeds from the run will go towards the Constable Sarah Beckett Memorial Scholarship.
Tess van Straaten
