5K foot race in honor of fallen law enforcement officers to be held Saturday in Lewis County | Lewis County

“Police Week is about remembering those officers that have given everything for our community,” event co-organizer Kelsey A. Blackwell said. “I think now more than ever our law enforcement officers need to know our community is behind them.”

The day will begin at 9 a.m. with K-9 demonstrations that will include Winnie, the county’s top dog, among other units.

The race will start with a moment of silence to honor officers and end with runners passing through a display of enlarged photographs of fallen officers from the area, she said.

“We’re police wives and sheriffs’ wives. It’s really hard to walk through that (display) and see there are local officers that have passed away and that’s the reality of our lives. Every time our husbands leave there’s a chance they won’t come back through the door,” Mrs. Blackwell said. “It’s very powerful.”

About 50 runners and walkers usually participate in the race, Mrs. Blackwell said. The race is professionally timed so that each runner has their own count. Medals will be awarded to the top runners in each category.

A “fun run” for children will begin at 10 a.m. after the main race, which will get underway at 9:30 a.m. Fun run participants will receive prize bags that include a ticket to Old McDonald’s Farm in Sackets Harbor donated by the business.

The pre-registration participant fee is $30. The fee increases to $35 for race-day registration during check-in between 8 and 9 a.m.

Fun run participants are asked to pay $5 or provide any item for donation to the Lewis County Humane Society in Glenfield.

Online registration can be completed at raceroster.com by searching for “Lewis County Police” on the page.