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The 1st annual Bruce Hadley Memorial "Relay Run for Heart" was a huge success, raising over $60,000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The event was held in memory of Const. Bruce Hadley, an RCMP officer from Bathurst who died last August of a heart attack while out jogging. He was only 32-years-old and sadly left behind a wife and two young children. This was a wonderful tribute, not only to Bruce, but also to countless others, who have died prematurely from heart disease. Over 270 runners from New Brunswick and beyond participated in the Relay Run which began on Saturday, Aug. 23. Six teams of runners started from Edmundston and five teams started from Fredericton, continuing to run overnight, until each group simultaneously arrived in Bathurst the next day, 30 hours later. All participants from both routes ran the last kilometre of the journey together and proceeded along St. Anne Street to the KC Irving Center for the closing ceremony. Family, friends and supporters cheered on the sidelines and joined in the procession. Each team consisted of 15-25 participants, with beginner to advanced skill levels in running. Medical support and RCMP escorts were present throughout. Each route covered a distance of approx 250 km and was divided into shorter legs of 4 to 11 km. Runners faced many challenges, including running at night, extreme heat and humidity both days, lengthy runs and steep hills. Not surprisingly, a deep sense of accomplishment was felt as each runner crossed the finish line. All proceeds from the event have been donated to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of NB to purchase Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). These devices will be placed in various public locations in selected communities throughout the province. The few AEDs that have been installed in NB have already saved lives. Unfortunately, over 1,000 New Brunswickers die of cardiac arrest each year and the odds of survival for an out-of-hospital arrest are only 5 per cent. Defibrillation, when used with CPR, can improve cardiac arrest survival rates from 5 per cent to over 50 per cent, if delivered in the first few minutes. Research has shown that the more AEDs are made available, the more lives are saved. If one had been available for Bruce, like many others, he may have survived. On behalf of the Hadley family, we want to express our deepest gratitude to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, the RCMP, members of the organizing committees, volunteers, team captains, runners and sponsors for all their hard work and dedication in making this event possible. We were proud to participate in this incredible weekend, filled with emotion .... it was a run to remember. We look forward to another next year. For more information about the Relay Run for Heart, AEDs or heart-related issues, go to www.heartandstroke.nb.ca

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Contributed photo

Miramichi Police Force officers Consts. Shane Henderson and Lisa McFarlane.

Contributed photo

The Miramichi Lucky Charms

Dale and Josie Hadley

Team Co-Captains, Pacemakers Bathurst

Editors note: The Miramichi Lucky Charms, led by Fern Matchette, participated in the run. This team raised over $5600.

Miramichi Police Force officers and RCMP members also took part, joining with other teams of police officers.