DCCCD Chief of Police Lauretta Hill welcomes the community to join representatives from all seven Dallas Community Colleges at Heroes Run. The district’s first responders previously served seven separate police agencies but now work for a collective police department.
Contact: Debra Dennis
ddennis@dcccd.edu or 214-378-1851
For immediate release — April 3, 2018
(DALLAS) — “Heroes Run – First In, Last Out” will mark the first community event that includes officers from the seven newly merged police departments that comprise the Dallas County Community College District Police Department.
Heroes Run, also a first-time event for DCCCD, will be held on Saturday, April 14, at Brookhaven College. The run, as well as a number of other activities, is open to the public and features the district’s first responders.
“DCCCD will premiere its collective police department whose members previously served as seven separate police agencies,” said Lauretta Hill, DCCCD’s police chief since 2016. “We had seven separate departments, but now we are one, and this is our first event with the community where representatives from every campus will participate.”
In addition to DCCCD officers, first responders and community members from throughout north Texas are invited to participate in the day-long celebration of community engagement and camaraderie, Hill said.
The day’s fun starts at 9 a.m. with a 5K run. An obstacle course will test the endurance of participants in various age groups — including adults, youngsters, pre-teens and teens. The cost to participate in both the 5K run and obstacle course is $35 until April 13. Individuals who choose to pay the day of the event will be charged $45. An all-day access pass for the obstacle course is $10.
Register now for Heroes Run.
The Dallas Mavericks Dancers will be on hand for autographs, and activities are scheduled that help children learn about the work of professional firefighters, said Cpl. Vikki Ethington, a DCCCD police officer who is assigned to Brookhaven College.
Farmers Branch Fire and Rescue will bring a fire truck and an ambulance; CareFlite is expected to make a landing. Farmers Branch Citizens on Patrol, a volunteer service group, will help demonstrate the importance of driving while sober.
And participants also can try on gear from a variety of first responder units — including tactical police and firefighter gear. They also can take 22 steps that honor and represent veterans who are lost to suicide in the U.S. every day.
KEGL 97.1 The Eagle will do a remote broadcast from Brookhaven College and kick off the 5K race that morning.
Funds from the event will be used to stock college food pantries and help meet the needs of DCCCD students so that their lives can be a little more stable throughout the year, Ethington said.
Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Richland and Mountain View colleges support food banks on campus to assist food insecure students. North Lake’s Blazer Store is a place where students can obtain food, clothing and other items. Other DCCCD colleges help students who struggle with food insecurity, too, officials said.
The district’s "Heroes Run — First In, Last Out" will become an annual event and will rotate among all seven DCCCD colleges. This year’s title sponsor is Sam Pack Auto Group. Food will be provided by Chick-fil-A and Chuy’s Restaurant of Addison.
Other sponsors include: Mustang Station, North Texas Contracting, Argosy University, Fast Signs Carrollton, Greener Pastures, Infinity Contractors, Shamrock Precision, the Embrey Family, Urban Engineers Group Inc., AXA Advisors, AIG/VALIC Financial Advisors, Happy Trails Rail and Thornhill Catering.
For more information, please email Ethington at
Vethington@dcccd.edu or call her at 972-860-4190.
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Heroes Run flyer (PDF - 1.28MB)