Brock and Kiara Fraser are seen at the Kamloops Indian Residential School memorial after a 215 km fundraising run.

Image Credit: FACEBOOK

In ten runs over 14 days, Brock Fraser ran 215 kilometres in honour of the children found buried near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, raising around $65,000 in the process.

Taking just three rest days, Fraser ran 21.5 kilometres each day. All of the proceeds have been directed to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.

"The last five kilometres of the last run my legs were starting to feel it. I would have crawled to the end if I had to." he said. "It was surreal. I couldn't believe the amount of support I got and the amount of people who watched me finish."

When Fraser heard the news about the bodies of 215 children found buried at the residential school, he started to see an outpouring of support across the community and the country through social media and the media. While many people were asking what they could do to support, Fraser said he wanted to provide an outlet through his fundraiser.

READ MORE: Kamloops runner fundraising for residential school survivors

"I've learned a lot along the way. Overall, I'm just grateful to be a part of it and glad that I did it," he said. "Maybe I can turn it into an annual run or something."

He was at the residential school grounds at Tk'emlups yesterday, June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day, where members of the residential school survivors society thanked him and awarded him with gifts to show their appreciation.

Fraser said the money he helped raise, $10,000 of which went directly to the non-profit instead of his fundraiser, has been directed to reaching out to residential school survivors in northern communities.

"(The society) has trouble reaching a lot of northern regions in B.C. The cost is a lot higher for them to reach those areas. Just because you live in a remote community doesn't mean you shouldn't have access to those resources," he said.

READ MORE: Okanagan Nation Alliance holds Syilx caravan to honour residential school children

Fraser lives in Sun Rivers where he has a view of the river and the Kamloops Indian Residential School grounds from his balcony. He said the news of the unmarked graves and his experience through the fundraiser has given him a much different outlook to what happened on those grounds.

"I've spent so much time talking to survivors from that school and learning from them about what was unknown to me before. Now I can look at the school and try to picture and understand what went on within," Fraser said.

More information about the Indian Residential School Survivors Society can be found at their website here.

If you find yourself in need of support please contact one of these organizations:

Indian Residential School Survivors: 1-800-721-0066

KUU-US Indigenous crisis line - available 24 hours
Youth Line: 250-723-2040
Adult Line: 250-723-4050

Residential School Crisis line - available 24 hours: 1-866-925-4419

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