Thousands fill Calgary streets at SportChek Mother’s Day Run, Walk and Wheel event

Thousands skipped Mother's Day brunch to raise money for the Calgary Health Foundation's neonatal unit and Canadian Tire Jumpstart. Tyler Barrow reports.

For Calgary resident Amy Bernhard, Sunday’s SportChek Mother’s Day Run, Walk and Wheel event meant more than your average Sunday morning road race.

 That’s because the event, sponsored by SportChek, raised over $50,000 to support two charities -- Canadian Tire’s Jump Start and the Calgary Health Foundation’s neo-natal intensive car unit (NICU) at Foothills Hospital.

In 2013, Bernhard was pregnant and learned about the NICU in a hurry.

“We had triplets that were born at 24 weeks,” Bernhard said. “Emma and Noah and Ashton.

 “We lost Ashton when he was three days old,” she said, “And Emma and Noah are 12 today and thriving and doing really really well.

“We walk today not only to support the NICU that saved our babies’ lives --but we also honour Ashton, who we lost and who’s in heaven.”

Almost five decades

Sunday’s Mother’s Day Run, Walk and Wheel was the 48th edition of the event, said Sportchek PR and social media coordinator Julia Laarihus.

“The SportChek Run, Walk and Wheel is really about bringing together the running community and the walking community and celebrating all the wonderful things moms do in this community,” Laarihus said.

“We’re pumped because we have almost 5,000 people here and we’ve raised well over $50,000 going to both those charities, which is why we do it!”

Stephanie Pineau has run in the event in the past -- her husband works for SportChek -- but Sunday was her first time participating as a mom, and also the first time for her nine-month-old daughter Caroline.

“It’s really exciting,” Pineau said. “It’s really nice to be here with everyone else who’s a mom I’m going to assume there a lot of moms here today – it’s really fun."

For Bernhard, it was her 11th time participating in the Mother’s Day Run and it’s still a cause to celebrate.

“It’s been our tradition ever since our babies came home from the hospital,” she said.

“It’s important for me to teach my kids how to give back and to know their story and how incredible they are – and how much they’re miracle babies," she added.

“We get to be together as a family and it’s our family tradition.”

With files from CTV’s Tyler Barrow