The Rolla Police Department has organized a mud obstacle course to raise money for the Concerns of Police Survivors. The obstacle course, known as the Fugitive Run, encourages participants to pretend they have been falsely accused of being a spy in a foreign country and have the chance to escape jail with the help of their fellow fugitives.
COPS is a national organization that provides resources to help the surviving families and affected co-workers of law-enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, according to the [COPS website](http://www.nationalcops.org/).
The run, which is monthly event from summer to fall, is a 3-4 mile obstacle course designed by the military and law enforcement SWAT teams. The event is broken down into four categories: Hard Core, Extreme, Execution and the Sprint Race.
The Hard Core event, which has 50 obstacles, is scheduled for 9 a.m. May 25.
The focus of the obstacle course is to put each participant’s strength, stamina and team spirit to the test. Anyone in the public is allowed to participate as long as they register prior to the event.
“All the money raised from this event goes toward helping families of officers who are killed,” Missouri COPS Chapter President Michelle Stanze-Colombini said. “Sometimes, if there are officers in court, we help them with that too. The money goes towards providing support for families in any way we can help them. Any donation received is significant and the Rolla Police Department does a good job of helping us.”
The Fugitive Run provides a stress-free space for the public to interact with local law enforcement officers.
“Any positive interaction the public has with the police is a good thing because otherwise, you only call the police when something bad happens,” Columbia Police Department spokeswoman Krista Shouse-Jones said. “The run does a good job of creating a positive atmosphere and I think it is a great idea to raise money for COPS,” she said.