'Cross off Boxing Day, that's not important': Running to help Winnipeg’s most vulnerable

A passionate Winnipegger is once again turning Boxing Day into Running Day in order to raise money and awareness for a local homeless shelter.

The eighth annual Running Day for Siloam Mission took place at The Forks Dec. 26, but it actually was Junel Malapad's ninth straight year of running various marathon-length distances to raise money and donations for the non-profit homeless shelter.

Malapad said it was a great day for a run. "The best type of weather we've had for nine years. I have friends out here with me, people are donating whatever they can to my pickup truck, which is located here (at) The Forks, and people come down and make a cash donation upstairs, I'm having an amazing day!"

The event not only celebrates physical activity, but also highlights the positive impact of running on mental health. Malapad said after the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are looking to get outside more.

"Running is one of the top things that you could do for your mental health. It can be done in any type of weather, depending on how you feel," said Malapad. "You don't have to run far - it could be like 20 minutes, get a little bit of a heart rate going. And then you know, when you do something like that you've done something for yourself, and the rest of the day is yours."

Participants garnered donations to run a pre-determined route around The Forks for as many laps as they were able. Clothing and other item donations were being collected at the run's starting point. Malapad said Siloam Mission is a very important organization for Winnipeg.

"When I started raising money for Siloam Mission, it was because I learned of somebody's freezing to death in our bus shelters, you know, an unsheltered person," Malapad said. "And I thought I could use this to run to support Siloam Mission, which is doing some phenomenal things for our community."

Malapad said he's planning some other running-related fundraising events this year, and encouraged Winnipeggers to mark Running Day on their calendars for next Dec. 26.

"Follow me on Instagram and Facebook, and you'll understand what's going to be happening," he said. "It could be more distances, short distances, but definitely Running Day is something that needs to be on our calendars. So I'm asking everybody when you get your new calendar, cross off Boxing Day, that's not important. Put in 'Running Day.'"