Giving the positive “thumbs up” gesture, Jared Hulme sports an accompanying wide smile as the last of the participants in the 2019 Steveston Icebreaker 8K crosses the finish line.

It’s nearing 10:30 a.m. on what is emerging as a postcard winter day on the West Coast. The kind of day perfect for such an activity.

“With the amazing weather, the event couldn’t have gone any better,” says Hulme, the energetic race director of the annual popular road race.

Doubling as a fundraiser for the Richmond Kajaks Track and Field Club as well as KidSport Richmond, the race is the second in the 2019 BC Road Championship series presented by BC Athletics. But it’s due to the hard work of Kajaks’ members, led by Hulme, that the Icebreaker stands out.

As recreation leader at West Richmond Community Centre, Hulme sees each day as an opportunity to help build his community. He also spends a considerable portion of his after hours giving back, including efforts to raise the profile of the Icebreaker. With the support of the City of Richmond, the Steveston Community Centre, and local businesses like the Steveston Bakery, Starbucks, Pure Water, Dave’s Fish and Chips, and the Pizza Factory, the event truly reflects the partnerships that Hulme and his colleagues have strived to achieve.