Gainesville teen runner honors fallen heroes, one mile at a time
Fifteen-year-old Andrew Collinson is planning a one-mile run to pay tribute to fallen South Fulton Capt. Helio Garcia, who died in a crash two months ago.
Collinson says he's hoping to see a big turnout from local law enforcement and public safety departments to support Capt. Garcia's widow, who is also attending.
Collinson joined Running 4 Heroes when he was 13 and has likely participated in over a hundred runs to raise money and awareness for the families of fallen heroes.
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Probably the only thing 15-year-old Andrew Collinson loves more than running is his community's first responders.
The Hall County teen could be spending his summer vacation relaxing like most people his age. Instead, he's dedicated to making sure the families of those killed while protecting and serving our communities know that someone's still thinking about them.
What we know
At around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Collinson will lace up his sneakers and hit the ground running to honor fallen South Fulton Capt. Helio Garcia. He's planning a mile-run through the Mundy Mill neighborhood to pay his respects just two months after Garcia was killed in a head-on crash. Garcia was one of the first officers to serve with the South Fulton Police Department.
Collinson is anticipating a law enforcement escort and a strong turnout from various public safety departments, all united in support of Capt. Garcia's widow, who will also be present.
Dig deeper
This isn't the teen's first mile for a fallen first responder. Collinson joined the fundraising nonprofit Running 4 Heroes when he was 13-years-old, and has likely been on over a hundred runs so far.
Besides the simple satisfaction of keeping himself in good health, he told FOX LOCAL's Judayah Murray that the real reward is in knowing the loved ones of these fallen heroes feel seen.
"When you go in the comments on YouTube, you'll see things like, 'Thank you for running for my brother,' or, 'sister,' and stuff like that," he said. "And it's just amazing to see."
According to the Running 4 Heroes website, the flag Collinson will carry on his run will be given to Garcia's family or police department afterward, along with a handwritten note.
The Source
FOX LOCAL streaming host and producer Judayah Murray interviewed Andrew Collinson and his grandfather, Rick Collinson, for this article.
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