CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's been nearly three years since Pineville firefighter Richard Sheltra died fighting a fire at a local store.
Tuesday, the community he fought for prepared to honor his memory at this weekend's annual 5K run.
In 2016, Sheltra lost his life battling a fire at Edwin Watts golf store in Pineville. Since that day, his family, fellow firefighters, the Pineville community and beyond continue to honor him with the annual Richard Sheltra Memorial Run.
“It’s just an opportunity to turn a bad situation into something that’s really good,” said Pineville Fire Chief Michael Gerin.
This year marks the 3rd annual race in it’s official capacity, but is the fourth in his honor. The first race came just months after Richard’s death, on his father’s birthday.
“It’s so cool, to think that’s people would think enough to take Richard with them,” his father Michael Sheltra said.
The family keeps a map in their home marking all the states their son’s engine number 73, has shown up across the country via a commemorative t-shirt.
“Richard would really be really embarrassed,” he said with a smile. “He would be horribly embarrassed to think about all this was in his name and in his honor but to me, when I see his 73 shirt show up in Colorado, show up in the Virgin Islands, it’s just, it’s so cool.”
The Richard Sheltra Memorial run will take place Saturday morning at Belle Johnson Community Center in Pineville. Proceeds from the event help to purchase gear for smaller fire departments.
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