Community members are invited to participate in a five-kilometre run on Sept. 25 to honour, respect and mourn the lives of police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
York Regional Police will host its 10th annual Luminary Run and Candlelight Vigil at Garrett Styles Park, located in Keswick at 176 Laurendale Ave., beginning at 7:30 p.m.
“The luminary run and candlelight vigil is a very important event for the York Regional Police,” said Const. James Dickson. “It both allows us to honour our fallen members, as well as provide an opportunity for our community to do the same.
"Every year this event reminds us of the community support that we receive for our officers and it’s an important opportunity to bring our members and the community together. It helps remind us why we do what we do," he added.
There have been several officers killed in the line of duty.
Const. Garrett Styles was a seven-year veteran of York Regional Police when he died in the line of duty on June 28, 2011.
Styles had pulled over a driver in a vehicle. The vehicle accelerated, dragging him about 400 metres before the driver lost control, rolling over the van and pinning Styles. Even as he lay injured, trapped beneath the vehicle, Styles contacted dispatch and expressed concern for the condition of the youths in the van.
Det.-Const. Robert Plunkett, who lived in Midhurst just outside Barrie, had served York Regional Police for more than two decades when he was killed on duty in the early morning of Aug. 2, 2007.
Plunkett and a group of non-uniform officers were surveilling drivers of two vehicles near Ascot Crescent and Harvest Moon Drive in Markham. One vehicle, a gold Honda, was believed to be stolen. The driver of the vehicle was seen opening the driver's side door and removing the car's airbag.
When Plunkett attempted to arrest the driver for theft, the suspect reversed the vehicle and accelerated over a curb, across a lawn, and over several shrubs. He was pinned between the open driver's side door and the vehicle as it struck a tree. Plunkett was thrown from the car as the suspect continued to reverse across the lawn.
Assisting officers rammed the vehicle and arrested the suspect as he attempted to flee. A second suspect, driving a white Honda, also attempted to flee but was arrested nearby. Plunkett was rushed to Scarborough Grace Hospital where, tragically, he died from his injuries.
There is no cost to run in the event, community members are welcome to come out and support the runners on the route and attend the vigil at the park afterwards.
“We encourage anyone to come out for the free five-kilometre run,” said Dickson. “If you don’t want to participate in the run, our citizens are still invited to attend anywhere along the route to show the runners support.”
Participants of the event can purchase a luminary for $5 with a personalized message. All money raised from the event will go to the National Police and Peace Officers' Memorial.
“Funds raised from this event are for Camp F.A.C.E.S which sends the children of fallen officers, who were killed in the line of duty or who completed suicide, to camp to allow them to be normal kids surrounded by other kids who have the same shared experience,” said Dickson.
York Regional Police supports families and loved ones who lost an officer by offering peer support services.
“We continue to participate in events such as the Luminary Run to make sure that everyone remembers the officers who have given their lives in their service to the community,” said Dickson.
For more information or to register, visit https://calendar.yrp.ca/default/detail/2024-09-25-1930-Luminary-Run-and-Candlelight-Vigil
