It may be sunny and warm late into May, but that was not the case in the early stages of the month. On May 3, 130 runners braved the snow for the 29th Annual Canadian Bar Association Law Day Charity Fun Run and Walk starting behind the visitor centre and travelling along the Millennium Trail.

Sylvia Gibson said in the past five years, the run has seen about 120 to130 people tying up their laces.

This year, the run raised $4,300, which was donated to the Youth of Today Society last Friday at the Law Courts Atrium.

Each year, the Fun Run chooses a different charity to receive the funds raised from sponsorship and donations. The theme for Law Day 2019 was “celebrating language rights.”

The theme “celebrating language rights” was inspired because of the United Nations.

"The United Nations, it's their year of celebrating Indigenous languages, and that is what sparked the theme of 'celebrating language rights' for Law Day," said Gibson.

The committee this year selected the Youth of Today Society from among several worthy applicant charities.

For charities, that wish to apply a call for applicants is put out every year.

"We send out a call, and essentially interested charities make applications where we review them as a committee and decided worthiness," said Greg Johannson.

The Youth of Today Society has initiated a series of youth-led initiatives aimed at fostering relationships, building dialogue, eliminating gaps, and promoting inclusiveness, all in the spirit of reconciliation, across rational lines and community divides.

In amongst the above activities, the society revived and reinvented an ’ 80s publication entitled Shākāt Journal. The original journal was an aboriginal publication; the youth established a new youth-driven magazine adding a voice by, for and about issues to them.

The third edition of the journal has recently come out.

Jacob Carr and Paige Hopkins were on hand to represent the Youth of Today Society in receiving the cheque.

"When someone hands you a $4,000 cheque, that's a big bump to the business," said Carr. "You can do a lot for that."

Hopkins said they are going to look to expand on the programming they already offer, like media arts, the supper program, which is five days a week, as well as the laundry and shower facilities.

"I would imagine it would go to maintaining all of those things," said Hopkins.

Tom Ullyett said without the walkers, it would be a much smaller event.

"The cool thing about it is it attracts both runners and walkers," said Ullyett. "Also, it is the first run of the season every year, and it sort of kicks off the running season. That is one of the reasons the event is sanctioned and affiliated with Athletics Yukon."

The Law Day run is not just for lawyers or people in the field, it is open to everyone to participate.

"The audience is anyone who likes to run or walk," said Ullyett. "If we were only dependent on the legal community, it would be a much smaller run. It's generally members of the public and generally people who like to walk or run.

"Of course, this is a big walking and running community."

Next year, being the 30th anniversary of the run, Gibson and Johansson said they are going to make it something special.

"There has been some discussion coming up, but as of yet it's still a work in progress at this point," said Johansson. "Thirtieth year, there is going to be some thought put into it, but at this point, just brainstorming."

"I imagine that it might be bigger and some other activities associated with it," said Gibson. "I understand in the past that Law Day included other activities to recognize and celebrate Law Day. Perhaps because it's the 30th year, we might be able to bring some of those events back."

Ullyett spoke to what some of the other activities were done in the past.

"In the past, we've done school presentations, we've done mock trials and we've done law fairs," said Ullyett. "There has been a whole variety of things. There has been quite a range of things we've done and we will see for next year.

"There are not too many running events in Yukon that have gone 30 years or more, so it's quite a milestone."