Siblings of slain OPP Const. Greg Pierzchala hold memorial run in Barrie
The memory of OPP Const. Greg Pierzchala, killed in the line of duty last December, will be honoured by his siblings, Michal and Justyna, with a memorial run in his hometown of Barrie.
"Running was a big part of Greg's life. Health and fitness were things that he cared about a lot, not just for himself but for everyone around him as well," said Michal.
The funds raised from the run will be used to establish a scholarship for a student at St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School, where Greg once attended.
"It's going to be a scholarship in Greg's name, and I think Greg was always one for helping out, helping out other people," Justyna said.
The slain constable's former wrestling coach said his dedication was unmatched.
"You knew that he would become exactly what he was meant to be. As a coach, he was a phenomenal athlete, extremely coachable, lovable. He lit up a room when he entered," said Anne Goorts, St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School.
The five-kilometre run will kick off at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Heritage Park in Barrie and travels along the waterfront, a special place for the Pierzchala family.
"The waterfront is a place where we spend a lot of time growing up, in the summers going swimming, at the park, and it's just an important location. It's beautiful," Michal said.
Although the day is sure to spark emotion, those who knew Const. Pierzchala believe he would have wanted the community to come together for a common goal.
"It's just a reminder to everyone that there is an individual, a member of our city, who chose to serve a community. He grew up here, but he served a community in Ontario, and we respect that, and this is our way of showing respect for that," said Barrie Police Chief Rich Johnston.
The online registration for the run ends on Thursday, but day-of registration is still possible for anyone who wishes to participate.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.