Hundreds of runners and walkers will descend on the South Carolina State Fairgrounds tonight in support of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department K9 Unit.
This is the 13th year for the Guardians of the Night K9 5K which raises vital funds to support the nearly two dozen working dogs in the department. The K9s have varying specialties from full-service patrol, explosives detection, electronics detection to search and rescue.
Nearly everything these dogs need to work and stay safe on the job is made possible because of donations from the community. This includes food, outfitting of patrol cars, collars, leads, harnesses, custom-fit ballistic vests and more.
The event began in 2011 to raise funds for the unit but when K9 Fargo was shot and killed in the line of duty later that year, it gained significance and now also serves to honor his memory.
This year’s 5k is a record-breaker with more than 630 people registered to participate. It will feature two start times: 8:30 p.m. for untimed runners/walkers and 9:30 p.m. for the timed 5k. Winners in each age group will be announced immediately following the 9:30 run.
Gate 11 opens to the public at 7:00 p.m. tonight.