Lac-Mégantic run raises money for train explosion victims

About 1,000 people took part in a 12K run from Nantes to Lac-Mégantic in Quebec’s Eastern Townships on Sunday, raising money for victims of the deadly train explosion in Lac-Mégantic earlier this month.

At the finish, Red Cross volunteers collected donations for the residents of the devastated town, where a runaway Montreal, Maine & Atlantic train that was stationed in Nantes derailed and exploded in Lac-Mégantic on July 6. The run raised $20,000 for the community.

Runners traced the same route as the runaway train and then gathered at the finish line for a moment of silence for those who died in the blast.

Some runners carried mementos of loved ones who died in the blast. Bobby Roy ran the course carrying a running shoe that belonged to his 29-year old sister, who was an avid runner, according to CJAD AM Radio. Many of the runners wore green, to symbolize hope.

“It’s so easy to give money, but it’s the time, energy and action that’s more important,” former NHLer and federal Green Party candidate Georges Laraque told the CBC in French. “It’s a perfect day to do this.”