Curtis Hargrove probably couldn’t get himself arrested anywhere else but Quebec but that’s what he managed to do and in doing so created a huge PR splash for his unknown and little-supported cross-Canada run.
Here’s what happened according to a front page article in The National Post:
Seems the young Albertan oil rig worker was trying to raise $1-million for an Edmonton children’s hospital and after 45 days of running non-stop from the east coast (where he was left alone by police) he was stopped by just two kilometres inside the Quebec border.
As police attempted to stop his run, Hargrove said he’d accept a ticket but he wasn’t going to stop running so using typical police logic the patrol officers from the Surete du Quebec charged him with obstruction of justice and hauled him away to jail. (Plus they fined his accompanying vehicle driver $52 for pulling over on a roadway with over 70km/hr speed limit.)
Hargrove had some choice words for the Quebec welcome on his Facebook page which he has since erased claiming that he loves the support he’s getting from Quebec. Smart PR move kid.
But now, thanks to the action of police and his subsequent arrest, Hargrove now has nation-wide publicity he couldn’t have possibly bought.
Just goes to show you what getting arrested can do for your fundraising campaign!
