WILLIMANTIC – Block after block and mile after mile, a Willimantic Police Officer is hitting the road for a reason.
When Officer Ryan Jones found out one of his sergeants has a rare form of cancer, his idea took off. Jones, 22, is running the “Foot Pursuit for 269” which will be a 69 mile run from Newport, Rhode Island to Willimantic.
The run is geared to raise money and awareness for fellow officer Ian Brown, a 23 year veteran of the Willimantic Department.
“It so happens Newport is 69 miles away,” said Jones, “and Ian’s badge number is 269 so it just seems fitting and hopefully running 69 miles is crazy enough to grab some attention.”
Jones, an accomplished runner who has done an ultra-marathon before, will head off from Newport with a police escort on May 5th and expects the run will take around 12 to 14 hours.
“I don’t care if I have to crawl or log roll,” Jones laughed, “I assure you I’ll finish the 69 miles for Ian.”
Jones added that he and his department have set up a GoFundMe page for Sgt. Brown, and have already raised over $12,000 for the cause.
To find out more about the event, the celebratory party after the run, and the fundraising click here