[West Island Suburban, August 26, 1998]

Harriers' West Island run raises $2,500 for breast cancer

    Last Sunday afternoon more than 70 men and women ran through parts of Pointe Claire, Kirkland and Dollard des Ormeaux in red dresses to help the Montreal Hash House Harriers collect $2,500 for the Royal Victoria's Cedar Cancer Institute.
    Harrier leader Ian Hepher was pleased with the turnout for the Second Annual Red Dress Run to help breast cancer research.  The event also attracted interest in the running group that was founded in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1938.
    "Everyone had a great time," said Hepher.  "That's the beauty of the hash.  We had hashers from Ottawa, England, Barbados and those who participated in runs in Indonesia."
    The seven-kilometre run started from Moe's Deli and Bar with rest stops at Marlowe's and Bill Edward's Cheers, before returning to Moe's where a party was held to celebrate the finish.  An auction of silly items raised several hundred dollars.
    Hepher was pleased to see an increase in the amount of corporate support for the run, including donations from Merck Frosst, Satellite Metal, Translogex, EG&G Canada, GMG Electronics, Winebottle and Packaging, and Jigsaw Jungle.
    He added that the run received greater media attention this year, with donations received from people who contacted the hash hotline.
    Johnny Cripotos, the general manager of Moe's, was delighted to host the run.
    "Moe's was the original Montreal Hash House," he said.   "Hepher has been a customer for a long time.  When he said he was doing a run for charity, we jumped in as corporate sponsor.  It's very important to give back to the community, especially when it's a fun thing like this."

    Moe's donated the proceeds from beer purchased by the runners.
    Stephanie Charland, a Pierrefonds resident, joined the harriers a few weeks ago.

    "It takes a real man to wear a red dress," she said.  "The harriers are a good bunch of people who do a lot of good stuff.   When we were initiated, they treated us like we were there forever."
    Charland, who works for the Molson Centre, was able to donate an autographed Montreal Canadiens shirt and hat for the auction.
    "The sister-in-law of Phil Scheuer, the administrative assistant to the general manager of Canadiens, was just diagnosed with breast cancer," she said.  "The mother of a girl I work with was also recently diagnosed with breast cancer.  This made the run even more important to me because people I know are directly touched by cancer."