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Sarah Beckett Memorial Cruise returns Sunday to the West Shore

The event is fundraising for D.A.R.E and is set to leave Langford at 9 a.m. April 24
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Deanna Jennings, Graham Bunn and Nick Poulopoulos gather before a previous iteration of the Sarah Beckett Memorial Cruise. This year’s event, the first in two years, takes place Sunday (April 24) beginning at the Fountain Tire on Jacklin Road, with all proceeds going to D.A.R.E. (Black Press Media file photo)

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Sarah Beckett Memorial Cruise is making its comeback Sunday (April 24), raising funds for D.A.R.E in memory of the late RCMP officer.

Deanna Jennings and Nick Poulopoulos have been organizing the event since 2016, originally as a fundraiser to support the family directly, and then as an opportunity to both keep Beckett’s memory alive and support a cause that meant a lot to her.

”I lived right behind the Peatt Road roundabout and I was outside when I heard the crash happen,” Jennings said. “The program that was close to her heart was the D.A.R.E program, so we made it our mission to do a 10-year cruise run with all funds raised from the cruise going to D.A.R.E.”

Previous years have seen more than 100 vehicles of all types participate. This year drivers will gather at the Langford Fountain Tire between 7:30 and 8 a.m. and depart no later than 9 a.m., taking a circular route up the Malahat, on to the Pacific Marine Route at Duncan, down to Port Renfrew and back to Langford over the course of the day.

Once back at Fountain Tire around 4 p.m., many of the cruise vehicles will stick around for a car show.

“Anybody can join whether you have an old beat-up car, a truck, a motorcycle, if it has a motor and is legal on the highway, anybody is welcome,” Jennings said. “We hope to see so many smiling faces on Sunday.”

This is year seven of 10 and she and Poulopoulos have committed to hosting the event, in hopes that more people than ever will join this year given the two-year break.

Folks are encouraged to stop by Fountain Tire either before or after the cruise to check out the wide variety of vehicles, and are encouraged to make a donation to D.A.R.E either directly through its website, or by bringing cash to the cruise. A limited number of 2022 cruise decals will be available by $10 donation at the event as well.

More details including the exact route can be found on the event’s Facebook page.

READ MORE: Memorial held in Langford on 6th anniversary of Const. Sarah Beckett’s death


@JSamanski
justin.samanski-langille@goldstreamgazette.com

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Justin Samanski-Langille

About the Author: Justin Samanski-Langille

I moved coast-to-coast to discover and share the stories of the West Shore, joining Black Press in 2021 after four years as a reporter in New Brunswick.
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