On a Saturday in
May 2015, Brianna “Bri” Hefner was murdered by her husband who then took his
own life.
Bri was a kind,
loving woman dedicated to her young daughter, the valedictorian of her class
at Morgan Township High School, and an employee of the Porter County
Juvenile Detention Center.
Bri also loved to
run and completed the Chicago Marathon in 2011.
The fourth annual
Bri’s RACE (Raising Awareness Changes Everything) will be held at 8 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Gabis Arboretum at PNW (formerly known as Taltree
Arboretum), to raise funds in support of domestic violence prevention
services in Porter County, including at The Caring Place.
Register for the
5K/one-mile walk at www.brisrace.org
or www.runsignup.com
The race
registration fee of $25 will include a unisex race shirt. Shirts will only
be guaranteed to participants who register through Sunday, Sept. 22. Knit
beanies and visors will also be available for purchase for a separate fee
when you sign up for the race.
Early packet
pick-up will be at the Extra Mile Fitness Company in Valparaiso on Friday,
Sept. 27.
On-site race day
registration and check-in will begin at 7 a.m.
For those who
aren’t able to participate on September 28, but wish to support Bri’s RACE,
donations can be made online at
www.brisrace.org
“With the loss of
our friend and co-worker, we knew that we had to honor Bri in an enduring
and meaningful way,” said Porter County Circuit Court Judge Mary Harper.
More than one in
three women (35.6 percent) and more than one in four men (28.5 percent) in
the U.S. have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an
intimate partner in their lifetime. About one in four women (24.3 percent)
and one in seven men (13.8 percent) have experienced severe physical
violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime.
“Sadly, it is more
likely than not that you have a family member or friend who has been a
victim of domestic violence, if not being a victim yourself,” Harper added.
“What better way to remember Bri than combining her passion for running with
helping to raise awareness of domestic violence.”
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Posted 8/15/2019
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