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Cambrian College holds Sudbury's first ever Pride
Run
Students, staff and supporters at
Cambrian College celebrated Sudbury's first ever
Pride run Saturday in what organizers are hoping
will become a signature event for the 2SLGBTQIA+
community in Greater Sudbury.
Scores of runners,
walkers and others joined the one-kilometre and
five-kilometre walk and run events held entirely
on the college campus Saturday morning.
One Sudbury man, Jeff
Walker who now lives in the United States, was in
Sudbury with his wife Laura and their three children
on vacation and they too took part in the event.
Organizer Krystel Houle,
Cambrian's Wellness Coordinator, Equity, Diversity
and Inclusion said she couldn't have been more pleased
with the turnout. She said participants arrived
from all across Sudbury and even Manitoulin Island.
She said one of the reasons for the event is that
nothing similar was going on in Sudbury or anywhere
else in the North.
"It was an idea we had. We really wanted to
put together a race for the college. And we saw
a hole in pride events in Sudbury in that we'd never
had a pride race up here. So we decided to put on
the first Pride run here, hosted by the wellness
program, by our Pride Center, and by our athletic
department at Cambrian," said Houle.
She said the college
was also putting out the welcome mat for whomever
wants to take part in college athletics, she said.
"We want everyone
to feel welcome to come into the Athletic Center
to get their workout in to participate in classes
and to participate in varsity sports, no matter
who they are," said Houle.
"We also have introduced an inclusive change
room to the college so that everybody can feel comfortable
in the space. So students who identify as gender-non-binary,
trans students, and those who are just questioning
where they're at with their sexuality, are welcome
to use the inclusive change room whenever they feel
they need that safe space," Houle said.
Taking things further,
Houle said proceeds from the race fees will be directed
back to the Pride community.
"All of the proceeds
from the race are going to be put towards the establishment
of bursaries for 2SLGBTQIA+ students within our
community coming to Cambrian with a strong support
from athletics. So the bursary is coming from our
athletics department," she said.
Houle said she was
pleased with the way the inaugural event unfolded
and said she is hoping Cambrian can offer the run
as a signature event for Sudbury's Pride community
every year.
Alison De Luisa, Cambrian's Vice President, Human
Resources, Student Services and International, said
she too was pleased with the event. De Luisa addressed
the crowd just before the 5K running event. She
welcomed the participants and said it was important
for them to feel welcomed and safe.
"And it is so
important to all of us that when anybody is on our
campus, they feel safe, they feel safe to be themselves;
because it's only when people feel safe and safe
to speak up and be who they are, that we can be
amazing as a campus community," said De Luisa.
"And I want to
extend that to the wider Sudbury community. This
is the first Pride run in Sudbury. And also my understanding,
in Northern Ontario, and you're a part of it. So
thank you so much. Today really isn't just about
the run. It's about inclusivity. It's about love.
It's about equity," she said.
Also taking part in
the run and the welcome comments was Sudbury MPP
Jamie West. He said he was pleased to be part of
the event and said he was frustrated earlier in
the week after the raising of the Pride flag in
Sudbury, but he became aware there are local citizens
who said they still don't feel safe in the wider
community.
"It frustrates
me that people in my community don't feel safe;
that people in my community are feeling like they
don't belong, they aren't welcomed. That's not acceptable
to me, that people feel that way," said West.
He added that he was
proud to be a part of the Cambrian College event
and to stand with the people there.
Len Gillis is a reporter
for Sudbury.com
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Cambrian Pride Run
This was such a fun event!!! The
energy was amazing! Thank you, Krystel Houle for
organizing this great event! And a special thank
you to all of the volunteers and spectators who
came out to support and cheer us on! It sure was
a hot one this morning!Well done, everyone!!! I
can't wait until next year. Ashley Hayes
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