Glowing runners and night-time walkers will pound the pavement in Columbus on Saturday night, March 1, when, the Town of Columbus and the Columbus Police Department  host the Police Benevolent Foundation Race for the Fallen 5K.

“The Race for the Fallen was created to honor the brave men and women who risk their lives every day to protect our families, and it is a tribute to the officers who gave their lives to protect our communities,” Columbus Police Chief Chris Beddingfield said. “Each year, more than 140 officers leave for work but don’t return home to the families who love and support them.

“The reasons are varied – they may be involved in an auto accident, they may be killed in an incident with a criminal, they may have performed a routine traffic stop to ticket a speeder or they may have responded to a domestic dispute that took a deadly turn. Regardless of the reason, the harsh reality is that the men and women of our local police departments who have chosen to accept the honor of protecting our communities often face deadly consequences that leave their families in dire straits.”

The Police Benevolent Foundation provides financial support to families of fallen officers, law enforcement scholarships and natural disaster support.  The foundation also supports officer training in post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide prevention.

This 5k run/walk will be conducted after sundown during evening hours as a glow run.  Participants will be wearing glow in the dark trinkets that will add a special effect to the race.  The event will begin and end at the Polk County courthouse on Courthouse Street in Columbus.  Festivities and late registration will  start at 5 p.m. and the race will begin at 7 p.m.

“The town would like to invite everyone to come out for this special event,” Beddingfield said. “There will be food, music and fun for everyone.”

Beddingfield said the town would like to prepare residents in the areas of Peak and Blanton Streets since there may be traffic delays experienced during the hours of the race. Almost 500 participants have registered in advance and late registration occurs at 5 p.m. on race day.

The Police Benevolent Foundation’s Race for the Fallen (R4TF) race series was created to honor the hardworking and dedicated members of our law enforcement community who risk their lives to protect our cities. These officers are men and women who have taken an oath to protect and serve the local citizens and their communities.

The R4TF 5K Glow Run event recognizes the contributions and sacrifices made by not only the officers, but also their families. The night time race will feature glow in the dark bracelets and swag.

The event seeks to promote unity and service within local communities by focusing on healthier, more active life styles for officers and the community as a whole.

Parking will be available at the U.S. post office and throughout the race vicinity.  Awards will be given to the first three law enforcement to finish, both male and female, and recognition will go to the top three overall, the top three master overall, and the first three finishers by age groups, female and male.

The Officer Down Memorial Page lists Deputy Sheriff L. C. Hilton as the first officer shot and killed in the line of duty on March 26, 1905. He was killed by a man he had arrested for carrying concealed weapons. Since 1791, there have been 21,624 known line of duty deaths in America.

The race also commemorates fallen K9 officers, such as K9 Gorky, a trained police dog shot and killed while accompanying an entry team during a hostage situation.

A subject had taken two juveniles hostage in a mobile home, and shortly after he released his hostages in exchange for cigarettes, he opened fire and struck K9 Gorky and wounded his handler.

In nearby Spartanburg County Deputy Kevin Carper was shot and killed during a foot pursuit of a suspect who fled during a traffic stop.

The driver shot Carper twice with a .38 caliber handgun. One round was stopped by his vest but the second round entered one of the vest’s armholes, causing a fatal wound to the chest. The assailant was shot by Deputy Carper and a second deputy. The killer was transported to a local hospital where he died a short time later. Carper had served with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office for 12 years at the time of his death in 2007. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.

Please feel free to contact the Columbus Police Department at 828-894-5464 or visit the website at www.raceforthefallen.com.

– article submitted 

by Chris Beddingfield