ISLANDERS are being invited to wear something yellow and take part in a fundraising run next month held in memory of a “much-loved” Jersey teacher who died in 2020.
The sixth annual Run for Cass event will take place on Sunday 8 March at 10am, with participants running or walking from La Frégate to St Aubin and back.
The event honours Cassie Porter, a primary school teacher at Rouge Bouillon, who took her own life following struggles with her mental health.
This year’s run will take place just days after what would have been her 35th birthday.
Runners and walkers are encouraged to wear yellow on the day, a nod to her favourite colour and flower – the sunflower.
One of the event’s organisers, Tom Stead said the event continues to be held on and around her birthday as a way of marking the occasion together.
He said: “Each year, on Cass’s birthday, we hold Run for Cass to remember her, celebrate her life and continue the kindness she showed other.”
“She cared deeply about her pupils, her colleagues and the wider community, and she was incredibly proud of the work she did,” he continued.
This year, organisers hope to raise £1,000, which will be shared between Caring Cooks and Rouge Bouillon School.
Cassie had volunteers with Caring Cooks, who previously described her as an “incredible teacher and a beautiful young lady”.
Since it began, the annual event has raised more than £40,000 for local charities and organisations, including Brighter Futures, Jersey Child Care Trust and Thrive Jersey.
Money raised in Cassie’s memory has also funded a ‘Friendship Bench’ and an outdoor area featuring an eco-mural at her former workplace – a project she had helped to shape during her time as the school’s eco teacher.
Organisers say that each year the event brings together friends, family and members of the wider community, not only to remember Cassie, but also to raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention.
