Murphy – Andrew Collinson, a freshman at Gainesville (Ga.) High School and volunteer for Running 4 Heroes, a nonprofit organization that honors fallen first responders, ran from the Murphy Police Department to Cherokee County Detention Center on Saturday in honor of fallen Detention Transportation Officer Francisco Flattes.
Flattes was shot by an escaping inmate while taking the inmate to a medical appointment on June 30.
Collinson carried a Blue line flag along the route. He later sent the flag along with a personal letter to Flattes’ family.
“Officer Flattes served the people of Cherokee County with integrity and strength. He is true hero,” Collinson told Cherokee County sheriff’s Capt. David Williams.
Running 4 Heroes was founded in 2019 by Zechariah Cartledge, a runner who was raised with an appreciation for first responders and all they do for the community. As he grew older, Zechariah decided to help the families of fallen First Responders in a meaningful way.
He founded the Running 4 Heroes nonprofit 501(c)(3). Since then, other Youth Runners have joined the cause, and together they run 1 mile for every first responder who makes the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.