The Tears to Hope Relay kicked off today (Friday) in Smithers.
A small group of people gathered outside the Museum at the corner of Main Street and Highway 16 to cheer on the runners that ran through the community to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
According to Organizer Lorna Brown, this is a continuation of a run that her cousin launched in 2006 when her niece Tamara Chipman went missing in Prince Rupert.
Brown explained why they named the run Tears to hope.
“We want to change that narrative of the Highway of Tears, to many of our women and girls and boys, young men are going missing,” she said.
Brown added that the run comes from four different directions, Gingolx, Prince Rupert, Kitimaat Village and Smithers.
She also said that this run is important because the community needs to see that these cases keep happening.
“Sadly, we had to make two new signs and no one likes to have to do that because far too many have gone missing and it seems to still be happening so, we need to continue to raise that awareness,” Brown said.
She added the run continues to grow and that there is more knowledge of the Highway of Tears.