Founder’s Message

In 2026, the pride & remembrance run celebrates its 30th anniversary. What began in 1996 as an idea has grown into a defining event of Toronto’s Pride celebrations and one of Canada’s most significant 2SLGBTQ+ sporting fundraisers.  With this 30th Run, the event will have raised over $4 million, supporting charitable projects in Toronto, the GTA, and communities across Canada.

I feel enormous pride in what this event has become and deep gratitude to the many volunteer directors and presidents of the Pride and Remembrance Association who have stewarded the Run over the years. Their leadership, care, and commitment have preserved the Run’s founding spirit and nurtured its resonance across generations.

I want to acknowledge my friends Peter Raynes, Roger Merkosky, Barry Waite, Emanuel Medeiros, Julia Enright, and the late Don King who all helped to bring the Run to life.

Beyond funds raised, one of the Run’s most meaningful legacies has been its human impact. Many thousands of participants have met through the Run, forming friendships, deepening relationships, and strengthening a sense of shared community rooted in health, visibility, and common purpose.

From the outset, the pride & remembrance run has been intentionally apolitical. A key purpose is to unite rather than divide, bringing people together through physical activity and a shared charitable cause. During these challenging and polarized political times, our commitment to remaining apolitical remains a prime directive.

As the Run has grown, so too has its charitable reach through the Pride and Remembrance Foundation, which extends the Run’s benefits throughout the year and across the country.  The Foundation supports smaller and often under-resourced community initiatives through targeted micro-grants of up to $10k. I am honoured to serve as Chair of the Foundation and to see how its work amplifies the Run’s impact well beyond a single day each June.

Born from personal loss, remembrance, and a desire for public visibility, the pride & remembrance run continues to honour those who came before us while celebrating the strength, resilience, and vitality of our community today.  Each year, we gather to celebrate the exuberance of pride and acknowledge the sobriety of remembrance.  

I want to offer my sincere thanks to everyone who has run, walked, volunteered, sponsored, supported, marshalled, and believed in this event over the many years.  

I look forward to seeing you at the starting line in 2026 as we mark our 30th anniversary milestone together, and to continuing to see you well beyond 2026.

Yours in Pride and Remembrance,

Alan Belaiche
Founder, pride & remembrance run
Chair, Pride and Remembrance Foundation