“Run, Curtis, run. Run, Curtis, run.”
The cheers and chants could be heard from the Cold Lake's welcoming sailboats at the south end of town, right through to the Energy Centre in the north, as local hero and cross-country runner Curtis Hargrove made his way through his hometown of Cold Lake this past Friday.
Hargrove is currently in the midst of the journey of his life, running across Canada, from Newfoundland to the west coast. The 23-year-old has been fundraising along the way, hoping to raise over a million dollars for the Stollery Children's Hospital.
Cold Lake's streets were lined with supporters as Hargrove entered town at the sailboats, where a group of special guests joined him for the run to Veterans Drive downtown. It was there the largest group of supporters joined Hargrove on the run that would continue north through town and eventually end up at the Energy Centre, where the hometown hero was given a warm welcome by the hundreds in attendance.
“There are ups and downs on this journey,” said Hargrove, after signing autographs and taking photos with hundreds of supporters. “But to come home to something like this, it's just amazing.
“And then when you think about the kids, all of them here today and all those that couldn't make it, the ones in the hospital. Those are the people that keep me motivated to keep going.”
Hargrove decided to run in support of the Stollery after meeting one of its patients late last year. He made the trip to the Stollery to meet the little girl in person and “right then and there” he announced he was going to run across Canada for the Stollery.
Hargrove said the Stollery helps kids from all across Canada, which makes the cross-country journey that much more special.
“You meet so many amazing people along the way and so many people who have been touched by the Stollery,” he said. “That's one of the things we wanted to stress doing this. The Stollery helps children from other provinces and all across Canada.”
Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland spoke during the celebration at the Energy Centre.
“We have so much admiration for you, Curtis. It's amazing what you are doing.”
He added, “You have a huge heart and we hope all these kids here today grow up to have a heart as big as yours.”
Curtis' father Larry then took the stage and said he is overwhelmed by what his son is doing.
“It's really hard to put this into perspective. You're an inspiration to us all,” he said. “They say children look up to their parents for guidance and inspiration. Well, today, Curtis, your mom and I are looking up to you.”
Hargrove had not seen his family for nearly five months up to this point, and the reunion was very emotional for the entire family.
Later, Hargrove took the stage to tell some of the tales from the road.
He began laughing, “I'm really bad at planning things.”
“I announced the run on December 17 … I arrived in Newfoundland on April 29. That day I found out I no longer had a driver.”
So what did he do? Hargrove turned to Kijiji and posted an ad looking for a driver to follow behind in the R.V. for the journey across Canada.
Not a day later, Hargrove had a response and soon after had found his driver.
Morgan Seward, who hails from Bell Island, N.L., met Curtis on April 29 and just four days later was on a journey across Canada with him.
She said the two have developed an amazing relationship, which allows them to push each other to keep going when things get tough.
“We have down days where we might fight or argue, but we know that we are in this for something so much bigger than the two of us. That in itself pushes us to keep with it and stay motivated.”
Seward was going to return home for university at the end of summer, but she postponed those plans, putting off the current semester to finish the journey alongside Hargrove.
Hargrove said he is aware he is doing something extraordinary, but maintains he is just a minor part of the bigger picture.
“I'm not the hero. I'm just a guy doing the running. You guys here and everyone supporting the cause are the real heroes.”
Hargrove's run is officially stopped just outside of Brandon, Man. From there he was flown into Cold Lake for the event. He will return to his last checkpoint to continue on his journey following his stop in the Lakeland.
His father offered a few more words of encouragement.
“The final thing I'll say today is, welcome home, Curtis. Keep on running.”
