Under a sunny sky, hundreds of people showed up at Heritage Park in Barrie on Saturday to take part in the inaugural OPP Provincial Constable Greg Pierzchala Memorial Run, an event to remember and honour Pierzchala, 28, the Barrie native who was killed in the line of duty last December.
All funds raised are going toward his church, Holy Spirit Parish in Barrie, to set up a scholarship fund in his memory at St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School, where he had been a student.
One of the organizers, Det.-Sgt. Pierre Gautier, said the event included more than 600 registered runners as of the start time.
Those events of last December are still fresh in the minds of all who attended, and with the recent murder of an OPP officer, the pain hangs on.
“It’s very heavy, with the most recent shooting of another OPP officer just a few days ago,” said Gautier. “I’ve been on the job for 29 years, and it’s always heavy when anything like this happens, and now with 10 officers since September being killed in the line of duty, it’s unprecedented, and I have no words.”
Acting Sgt. Robert Simpson, an OPP spokesperson for the run, said, “Events like this are very important, and it raises awareness, and the community has an opportunity to show its support, especially for Greg’s family and friends. It’s a great source of support.”
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique was on hand and shared his thoughts.
“Today is a great day to celebrate a true hero and to come together as a community, to pay our respects to his family, and for the community to show the support that the police need to do the very difficult job that they are forced to do,” he said.
“My heart is broken and we are still reeling over the murder of Greg, and now to have to bury another officer who was ambushed and murdered, and I’ve got two other officers that were severely and seriously injured, and others that will be emotionally scarred for the rest of their lives.
“We all try to wrap ourselves around the family and try to support them as best we can, knowing that their lives are changed forever and their lives will never be the same. They are missing a big part of their families, and that can never be replaced.”
Saturday’s event can also be viewed in a positive light, with friends, families, and coworkers coming together.
“This makes me feel inspired,” said Carrique, “and it makes me feel proud of our officers and organization, the relationship that they have with the community, and the amount of respect that our officers are given, and the high regard that they are held in. If that wasn’t the case, we wouldn’t have 700 people here today to celebrate Greg’s life.”
Recruit Const. Ricky Rogers, a Barrie native who is currently attending the Ontario Police College in Aylmer, took part in the run.
“With everything that has been happening lately, especially with the officer that was just murdered the other day, I think this event is extremely important to raise awareness,” she said. “We have to make this stop happening. It’s unfortunate that this keeps occurring.”
Being a new recruit and knowing the dangers that come with policing, it can be stressful entering the police world.
“It’s a lot to take. We have a lot of support that is being shown here today, and we need to press on,” she said.
