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Costumed runners, walkers stroll rural Langley in search of wine

Shy of 400 took part in the Campbell Valley Wine Run for Pacific Riding for Developing Abilities.
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Their costumes were simple: pointy hats, painted noses, furry ears, and a few pair of antlers accessorizing their running shoes and black leggings.

Next year, the Langley women vow their outfits will be much more elaborate, and so to will their fundraising efforts leading up to the annual Campbell Valley Wine Run.

In the meantime, however, the five-member “sister” team – dubbed Party Animals – have committed to making this charity event an annual family function. In fact, they’re hoping to bring out more people and raise much more money to help the Pacific Riding for Developing Abilities (PRDA) next time around.

They were among hundreds of runners and walkers who took part in the fundraiser at High Point Estates in South Langley this morning.

The event featured a 15-km fun run and 5-km walk through the nearby Campbell Valley Regional Park and area. It includes stops at local wineries, where runners could sample their vintages and even purchase wines (that were then delivered to High Point for them). The day culminated in a burgers and wine lunch back at High Point.

“It was so much fun,” Jennifer Prodanuk said of her inaugural Campbell Valley Wine Run.

She and the “family outcast party animals” (Lisa and Val Prodanuk, Treena Barbour, and Vera Teperto) heard about the event through social media. And, unfamiliar with the run or its cause, they thought it “sounded like fun,” Jennifer said.

It was a perfect fit, she added, noting that “drinking wine is our hobby.”

It may have been the first time out for the Party Animals, but it definitely won’t be their last.

CLICK HERE: To see more photos from the event

This was the sixth annual wine run, with 100 per cent of all money raised going to PRDA – a Langley organization providing therapeutic horseback riding to individuals with physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities.

With an estimated $20,000 raised for the charity at Sunday’s event, this annual run has raised in excess of $100,000 for PRDA since its inception, announced event founder and organizer Patrick Murphy.

“We had the support of 400 people who came out to register for the run,” he said. “Very competitive. And the costumes… I loved the costumes.”

The best individual costume prize went to a woman dressed up as a birthday cake, with the Special Occasions team. She won a one hour ride with Sky Helicopters.

There was also an “unsung hero” prize given to a woman who ran the entire trek in a “massive inflatable cow” costume.

“And, I’m telling you the team competition was phenomenal,” Murphy said, noting Team Skull Faces took top prize of a $500 gift certificate for the local wineries: Township 7 Vineyard & Winery, Chaberton Estate Winery, Glass House Estate Winery, Backyard Vineyards, and Vista D’Oro.

“All of our wineries are supporting the cause for PRDA,” he said, himself representing Vista D’Oro Farms & Winery.

Every year, the event continues to grow but it can’t grow too much more, Murphy said.

“We had just under 400. That was the most ever, but we’re not trying to compete with The Sun Run or anything,” he said, noting they cap registration at 400 because the wineries couldn’t handle more than that number in such a short time.

“These are just people who want to come out and have fun, as you can tell by the efforts people make on their costumes…Ours is just a big social event,” he said. “Really, this is the community coming together to support PRDA and have fun.”

This year’s wine run attracting some runners from Kelowna, Williams Lake, Prince George, and three couples from London, England, but was primarily made up of runners and walkers from throughout the Lower Mainland – especially Langley and Surrey.

LAST YEAR’S EVENT: Fun wine run drew record crowd for Langley charity

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Roxanne Hooper

About the Author: Roxanne Hooper

I began in the news industry at age 15, but honestly, I knew I wanted to be a community journalist even before that.
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