The Ben Bernier Memorial Foundation will host the first Ben Bernier Memorial Run, Walk and Toss at Pineland Farms next Saturday, October 9, in honor of Ben Bernier, who passed away in 2019, shocking the Brunswick community.

Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on October 9, Ben Bernier’s father, Lab Instructor and Manager of Bowdoin Science Center and Laboratory Safety Rene Bernier, his mother, Stephanie Bernier, his sister, Rachel Bernier, and much of the Brunswick community will gather at Pinelands Farms—located about a half-hour drive from the College—for live music, a 5k walk or run, disc golf and other types of entertainment and activities.

The event will include three live bands, food trucks and craft beers set up by Moderation Brewing Company, as well as a timed 5k race, 18 hole long and short disc golf and a family-fun walk. Because of corporate sponsorships, all of the funds raised at this event will go towards helping charities in the Brunswick area including the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program and Tedford Housing.

At the age of 34, Ben Bernier died suddenly due to complications related to an ongoing medical condition. The Brunswick community responded to this tragic news by adopting Ben’s selfless spirit of giving. In Ben Bernier’s honor, a group of residents began donating to local charities with the aim of combating under and housing insecurity.

In response to this outpouring of charity, Rene and Stephanie Bernier organized a memorial fund in his name earlier this year.

“We decided in the beginning of 2022 to make a nonprofit organization in Ben’s name so that we could manage these donations and get them out to institutions that help people in the Brunswick, Bath and Freeport area,” Rene Bernier said. “Rather than the foundation focusing on a particular charity, our focus is a particular area, right around Bowdoin College.”

After seeing her parents start the foundation, Rachel Bernier, had an idea. She’s always been a runner and wanted to put on a charity race in her brother’s name.

“We started out small,” Rene Bernier said. “But it just grew and grew into this. We said, well, we should include non racers, so we have the walk, and then there’s this amazing disc golf course. And we’re like, well, we get to do this, too. So it all kind of ballooned … But it was really [Rachel], through her efforts, that the whole thing came together.”

While tremendous support from corporate sponsorships allow proceeds…