By Angela Brown

Operun participants brave snow, rain for Battleford fundraiser

Sep 24, 2018 | 2:00 PM

Neither snow, nor rain, nor chilly temperatures could dissuade people from participating in Battleford’s Operun Sunday morning.

Once again the event attracted good participation, even though poor weather made the race challenging. 

The event was a fundraiser for local community improvement projects. The Historic Battlefords Lions Club were involved in organizing the Operun again, now in its fourth year. 

“The weather was horrible today with the cold and the wet. It just goes to speak to the hardiness of Saskatchewan people with the number of people we had show up and run and take part,” Suzanne Reid, member of Historic Battlefords Lions Club who helped with the event said. “Everybody you encountered was having a good time and had a positive attitude. It was a good atmosphere.”

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Runners in the timed event took part in the five kilometre or 10 kilometre race, or the Young at Heart two kilometre race.

While the total funds raised are still being tallied, the event had roughly 135 people registered. From that amount, 101 participated in the run in the end. A total of 81 kids registered for the Young at Heart race that included many students from area schools, from classes sponsored by local businesses. From the 81 registered in the Young at Heart race, a total of 61 came and ran in the race.

Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie and North Battleford Mayor Ryan Bater took part in the Operun too, both completing the five kilometre course.

“It was cold but it was very refreshing,” Leslie said after his run. “It was great to be part of the Operun again this year.”

Leslie said the Operun committee moved the date for the event to earlier this year, with the hope of having better weather, so it was a surprise to find it snowing while still in September.

“There was snow, rain, high humidity,” he said, adding it was also very cold. He said Mother Nature wasn’t co-operating with the Operun’s plans.  

“Mother Nature said: ‘Not so fast.’ And gave us the same kind of weather,” Leslie said. “But it was tremendous to see the amount of people still came out, ran today, and sponsored this event — even though the weather was cold.”

He noted due to the frigid temperatures musical performances were cancelled for the most part. The event did include two youth who led the national anthem at the start of the run, and some Highland dancers greeted runners on part of the course also. 

Leslie said the funds raised will go toward paving the community’s walking trails, which were the beneficiary of last year’s event.  

The full results of the event will be available here.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow