Hundreds of people toed the line Saturday for the annual Run for Rocky at Windsor’s Riverfront, and they brought some cash along with them for the cause.
The event, which first ran in 2013, is inspired by Rocky Campana, who passed away in 2012 after attempting to take his own life. The Campana family, along with the Windsor Pride Community, wanted to share Rocky’s story to help create safe schools and support systems for youth in a time of crisis.
On Aug. 10, 324 registered participants ran, walked, and rolled five kilometres along Windsor’s Riverfront trail to raise funds for various LGBTQ+ initiatives.
In total, $79,500 was raised through pledges and sponsorships, making it a record year for the fundraiser. St. Clair College has been a proud event sponsor since the Run for Rocky launched and this year, the College was recognized as a Legacy Sponsor.
Run for Rocky will help fund the Windsor Pride Community & Windsor Essex Pridefest ‘Q Link’ Program, which is an after-school youth program for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. Money will also go to counselling services through Trans Wellness Windsor.
$5,000 will go directly into the Caesars Windsor Educating Educators fund to support diversity training and resources for educators in local schools, and another $5,000 from Sutherland will go into supplies, resources and materials needed for Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Teacher-Leader Toolkits.
Since the inaugural run, 65 GSAs are now in distribution in Windsor-Essex high schools, senior years of grade schools and in local agencies that have GSA youth programming. Run for Rocky also supports GSA school club grant applications and GSA student scholarships during the 2024-2025 academic year, along with special projects or requests as they are brought forward from administrators at the local school board.
“The ambitious and enthusiastic community and corporate support of the Run for Rocky event demonstrates the need for GSAs in our schools and the sustenance they give to LGBTQ+ youth, who are often bullied, face a higher rate of school avoidance and feel more isolated,” said race co-founder, Nancy Campana.
“When marginalized youth are supported and have a safe place to go within their school environment, the end result is that all students and educators are safer, and schools become kinder and more inclusive spaces for all.”
100 per cent of all funds raised by the Run for Rocky Legacy Project stay in Windsor-Essex and with no overhead costs, as the event is planned and executed completely by volunteers.
