Sgt. Benton Bertram was a 10 year Veteran of the Charlestown Police Department who died tragically on December 12th 2018 while pursuing a suspect in a stolen car. Sgt. Bertram was a devoted K9 Officer who loved both of his 4 legged partners, first K9 Kubo then K9 Franco. Although we lost Sgt. Bertram that night we will forever keep him in our hearts and our memories. The Sgt. Bertram Memorial 5K-9 is one of the ways we honor Sgt. Bertram and his love for dogs. We encourage our 5K participants to run or walk with their dogs, thus making it a 5K-9.

Our annual race has two beneficiaries. The annual beneficiary is the 550 Foundation in honor of Sgt. Ben Bertram.

This year's local beneficiaries are the children of the late Deborah Meyer. We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Deborah Meyer, a devoted mother of three young children. In this time of immense grief, her three young children are being lovingly cared for by family. We believe our community has the power to offer them hope & stability. Your race registration and participation will directly contribute to ensuring these children have the support they need during this transition in their lives.

For event-related questions, please click on the Contact the Organizers button on the left-hand side of this page.