By Ruth Olson
The UVSC Triathlon Club and Team Rubicon are turning their annual charity triathlon into a memorial for Garrett, the 12-year-old scout from Elk Ridge who was lost in the Uinta mountains in August.
The race is scheduled for Saturday at the Orem Recreational Center. The triathlon is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and the 5-K run at 9:20 a.m.
“I was up there for about a week and a half in the search, and it was just kind of an awful thing,” said David Payne, one of the race”s organizers and a Bardsley family friend. “We came up with the idea that it would be nice to do something for Kevin [Garrett”s father], for the family.”
Payne said as well as raising money for the foundation, the race will be a remembrance for Garrett.
“We”re just hoping to raise money so they can know that everybody still remembers what happens, and we”re supporting them,” Payne said. “That”s what we”re mainly trying to do.”
He said Garrett”s father, Kevin Bardsley, would be participating in the race.
Eric Wynn, another race organizer, said the club and the local community has been supportive. Businesses have donated supplies for the race, so the full proceeds can go to the Garrett Bardsley Foundation. Payne said the club expects the race to raise between $5,000 and $7,000.
Kevin Bardsley said it was a complete surprise when Payne approached him with the idea for a fundraiser.
“We”re definitely overwhelmed,” Kevin said. “You don”t ask for it, and people just offer their services and offer this support. It”s pretty amazing to us.”
The family will be holding an official service for Garrett on Nov. 27. However, Kevin said he thought of the race as another memorial for his son.
“This is a way that we can keep the memory of Garrett alive,” Kevin said. “That”s why we”re doing it.”
He said the family would use money from the race to build schools, books and supplies for needy areas. The family received enough donations to build a school in Ecuador, which will be named after Garrett. The rest of the proceeds went towards the search efforts for Garrett. However, Kevin said the search has been called off until spring because of the snow. He said all the money from the race would be used for humanitarian work.
This is the fourth annual Triathlon Club. In previous years, 80 percent of the proceeds went to fund other races and the rest went to charity. This year, all the funds will go to the Garrett Bardsley Foundation. Prizes donated by the community include a $2,000 purse to be donated to the winner”s charity of choice.
