From Our President: The Pender Run was Certainly Fun

I’m writing this shortly after running the inaugural Pender Pursuit trail race and taking part in the Pender Island Foundation’s first Walk for Wellness in late June. I’ll do my best not to dwell on the aches and pains and instead focus on the immeasurable good that came from the day.
The result was remarkable fundraising for island initiatives — proceeds from this year’s Walk for Wellness will be matched and donated to the Pender Islands Health Care Society — but the events also fostered something even more valuable: island pride, a celebration of community spirit, and a chance to connect with neighbours.
The energy at the event was outstanding. Smiling participants, supportive race marshals and cheering volunteers were everywhere. The schoolyard base camp had a summer‑festival feel as bands and bubble‑makers filled the air with delights. Children ran from the climbing‑wall exhibit to the Nice Cream Pop vendor to the Lions Club hotdog cookout at the health centre.
A newcomer to Pender would have been forgiven for assuming the day’s events were longstanding traditions. I might have, had I not watched it come to life through the hard work of commitment of Rob Fawcett and the Foundation, the hard work of Lee‑Ann and Jorgen Jespersen, and the support of Moving Around Pender and countless others.
It reminded me of last year’s Mosaic Festival — the first major local event I attended after moving to the island a little more than a year ago — or the Fall Fair, or the Magic Lake Lantern Festival. Or the stories I’ve heard about bygone efforts such as the Penducky Derby, and the bonfires and bocce tournaments that helped build the Pender of today.
I’m honoured to have taken part, and grateful to have been invited to run the five‑kilometre circuit as a local “celebrity” alongside Pender Native Plants’ Adam Miller and Pender Radio’s Kyle Jones — two whom deserve accolades far more than I do.

Matthew Coutts
president@penderpost.org