Pictured (L-R) Gene Klingler, Kathryn Burr and Mark McClain speak at the Race Against Domestic Violence in Long Beach.
Runners from Canada to California converged on Long Beach's Bolstad Beach Approach Saturday, August 1, for the annual Race Against Domestic Violence, a memorial event to honor the memory of Lisa Bonney who was tragically murdered there in 2009 by her former boyfriend Brian Brush. Lisa's father, Gene Klingler, a fixture at the event since its inception, was once again handing out water to the runners as they made their return leg of the 5K race.
"This event honors Lisa Boney and also serves to bring increased awareness to the realities of domestic violence in our community and to promote health relationships in a positive way," said Kathryn Burr, Crisis Support Network Executive Director. Pacific County Prosecutor Mark McClain joined the effort to explain where the current case against Brush was and to raise awareness for the importance of electing Appellate and Supreme Court Judges who frequently run unopposed, "these judges failed Lisa and dishonored our community," said McClain, who urged racegoers to think about their selections for these important offices. Klingler provided awards to the race winners, but the true winner was the community who had an opportunity to honor the tragic loss of one of their own and bring awareness to the importance of domestic violence prevention.