Starting Friday, executive director of the Kamloops Symphony Daniel Mills will be running through every neighbourhood in Kamloops (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

RUNNING THE SYMPHONY

Mills begins athletic symphony fundraiser tonight in Westsyde

Aug 14, 2020 | 4:06 PM

KAMLOOPS — Daniel Mills has run marathons many times, so what he is about to embark on feels like nothing.

Except this next journey is impressive.

Mills, the executive director of the Kamloops Symphony, is running every street in Kamloops over the next six months to raise money for his own organization.

“There are a lot of the trails — The Rivers Trail — I’m very used to as a runner in the last year,” said Mills, who moved to the city from Calgary last year to become the symphony’s executive director. “But there are neighbourhoods that I don’t spend that much time in and really exploring every nook and cranny by literally running every road will be a great way for me to showcase the city and figure out some new highlights.”

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The fundraiser is called Running the Symphony. About every second or third day, he’s running in a local neighbourhood. By the end of it, he will have clocked 1,330 kilometres. His journey starts Friday night (Aug. 14) at Westsyde Secondary, which holds a special place for the symphony.

“That is actually the site of the first rehearsal that the symphony ever had back in 1976, so we chose it for historic reasons there to kick off this journey,” he said.

Mills, an endurance runner, was looking for a new challenge. Plus, with the financial challenges brought on by COVID-19, he thought this would be a unique way to help the Kamloops Symphony.

“We here at the symphony are having a new year. We’re undergoing lots of new challenges involving restrictions. We’re trying to figure out a way forward. Financially, there’s some strain that comes with that,” he said. “We were looking for a new fundraising idea and simultaneously I’m an amateur runner and all of my races have been cancelled.”

Mills is hoping to raise $15,000 during his six months of running across the city. He’s already one-fifth of the way there before even taking off.

“That’s been great. I haven’t actually started running or doing anything, so just to have that right off the bat is a great show of support. I hope we can increase that number as we go on.”