Frequently Asked Questions

About

Who is the Tears to Hope Society?

The Tears to Hope Society was founded by long time friends, Lorna Brown and Birgitte Bartlett. For more information go to our About page.



How did the Tears to Hope Society start?

Tears to Hope started out as a team in the Sun Run (Vancouver BC) in honour of co-founder, Lorna Brown's neice, Tamara Chipman, who went missing on the Highway of Tears in 2005. For more information go to our About page.



Is the run every year?

YES! You can book the last weekend of June before the July long weekend, every year for the annual Tears to Hope Relay!



Where did your logo design come from?

Our Tears to Hope logo was graciously gifted to us by world renowned artist Roy Henry Vickers.



Donations

Where are the proceeds going from donations?

Since our first run in 2019, we have been approached by many generous donors and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. All proceeds go towards MMIWG projects. Projects will vary and are decided on by the board of directors. Each chosen project must have input from family of MMIWG



Do I get a tax reciept for my donation?

We are not a registered charity, so we do not provide tax reciepts.



How can I give?

Thank you for your generosity! There are a number of ways you can give. 1. You can e-transfer to lorna.brown@telus.net 2. You can mail a cheque to: Tears to Hope Society 3555 Gyiik Road Terrace, BC V8G 0C8 3. We've been approached about raffles with proceeds going to Tears to Hope. We appreciate this gesture. We just ask that you get it approved by the Tears to Hope Society first. 4. Donate items for raffles and/or prizes. 5. If you can't give monitarily, you can vollunteer! Leading up to the run itself, we sometimes need help putting up the highway signs, addressing and packaging participant t-shirts. When we can gather again, we would like to back to gathering and would need help with set up.



Run Day

What are the safety rules of the in person relay?

Safety of our runners and support vehicles is of utmost importance. Please familiarize yourself with the following rules and ensure that all team members are aware of these Relay Rules 1.Vehicles will have a 5 min. maximum drop off allowed for participants. Every team must supply reflective vests for support personnel. 2. Participants must run on the left side, facing oncoming traffic and shall run on the paved shoulder wherever possible. ​3. Each runner needs to know where to start and complete his/her designated stage. ​4. Runners who have completed a stage, use extreme caution to cross the highway. 5. ALL vehicles MUST adhere to all traffic/parking signs along the route and at transition areas. ​6. All support persons MUST wear high-visibility safety vests when crossing the road to assist runners along the route.



What are the traffic rules for the in person relay?

Cautious and courteous driving is essential to the safe and orderly conduct of the relay run. To reduce congestion on the relay course and to alleviate traffic problems, please try to have only one team support vehicle on the course where your member is running. Runners must watch out for vehicular traffic at all times. Be especially careful when crossing the highway, whether to assist your runner or at the exchanges. ​ Please familiarize yourself with the following rules: ​ 1. Vehicles may park on the right side only, where it is safe and permitted to do so. Parking is not permitted on the left side of the road, or on the marked areas directly opposite the hand off area at the end/beginning of each stage. 2. Throughout the relay, team support vehicles must not stop to assist runners unless there is a designated parking area or room to pull off the road. 3. Obey all traffic signs. Be extremely cautious around exchanges. 4. For safety, please limit number of vehicles at Transition Areas. 5. Support vehicles are not permitted to support the runners by driving alongside the runners. 6. Each runner is limited to ONE support vehicles. Drivers must comply with all regulations of the Motor Vehicle Act and obey all traffic regulations. Vehicles must travel on the right hand side of the highway at all times.



How does the virtual run/walk work?

The beauty of the virtual 5km or 10km is you can run or walk from anywhere! You have the freedom to map out your own distance. So you can go for a scenic walk around a lake, a hike up the mountain or a stoll down a beach. If you are in the northern BC area and choose to run or walk along any of the routes (Nass Valley, Prince Rupert, Kitimaat Village or Smithers) there will be markers in 5km increments. You will be responsible for your own saftey and the safety of those with you. Please see the safety and traffic rules above.



Can I track my run?

Yes! Your Race Roster registration is connected to Asics Runkeeper. All you have to do is: 1. Sign in to your Race Roster account 2. Click on menu in the top right corner 3. Click on Dashboard. 4. There you can connect to your Asics Runkeeper or you can manually enter your time under your account .



It's run day! What should I know?

If you chose to participate in the relay along the Prince Rupert, Nass Valley, Smithers or Kitimaat Village routes, please be at your start point half an hour before your start time. This will allow for you to stretch and possibly start earlier, depending if we have some speedy runners ahead of you. We will have a support vehicle with you. Even if you have your own, someone representing Tears To Hope will be there from the first runner of the day to the last. After your run is finished, someone will bring you back to your vehicle.



Registration

How do I register?

Registration is open until midnight, the night before the event. You can register HERE



I'm registered! Now what?

You can train! With the assitance of ISPARC (Indigenous Sports, Physical Activity & Recreation Council) we provide 3 training programs: Learn to Run 5K (8 week program) Learn to Run 10K (13 week program) Run 10K Stronger (13 week program) You can also spread the word. If you chose the virtual run, create a team and invite your family and friends to join you. Maybe have a friendly challenge with another team!



My registration says "Terrace" as the location but I'm not participating there.

If you chose the virtual run, you are free to participate wherever you'd like. The registration says Terrace because that is where the Tears to Hope Society is located and where the relay from all 4 directions ends.



I wanted to run on the highway but the leg I wanted is taken.

When registering, you're best to give yourself a few options. If all your options are taken, you can always chose a virtual run and participate wherever you'd like.



I can't run. Can I still participate?

YES! We want this to be an inclusive event. run, walk, stroll, crawl, everything goes!



I can't run 10km yet. Can I still participate?

Absolutely. In 2021, we added a 5km option just for that purpose. We want people to be able to participate however they can.