He wanted to honor public safety officers who have recently died in the line of duty. Andrew Collinson, 14, of Gainesville, GA, ran Saturday afternoon, April 20th, for Georgia State Trooper Chase Redner. Collinson is a volunteer for Running 4 Heroes.
Officer Redner was struck by a vehicle and killed on February 20, 2024. Officer Redner was working a traffic accident in metro Atlanta when he was killed. His mother and fiance were at the finish point to meet Collinson and receive the blue line flag in Dahlonega.
Collinson did not stop on Saturday. Sunday afternoon, April 21st, he was joined by two Hall County Sheriff’s Office deputies in the Mundy Mill subdivision in Oakwood, GA. Collinson ran two miles, one in memory of Special Agent Derek Sean Baer with the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (WV), and the other in memory of Lieutenant Rodney Osborne with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.
It all started with a boy who enjoyed running and an appreciation for our First Responders. Running 4 Heroes is a non-profit 501(c)(3) with a mission to raise awareness and funds for those fallen in the line of duty.
Zechariah Cartledge decided to help the families of our fallen First Responders in a meaningful way by running. In 2019, Zechariah founded the Running 4 Heroes. Many Youth Runners have followed his example and joined in the cause. These youths run one mile for every First Responder who makes the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
“Our First Responders do so much for us. I want to let them know they are appreciated.” -Zechariah Cartledge
