Zechariah Cartelage on Saturday led a memorial run on Saturday, July 8 2023 to honor the memory of fallen Police Detective Delberth Phipps, Jr.
Running 4 Heroes, led by its founder Zechariah Cartelage, honored the memory of fallen USVI Detective Delberth Phipps Jr. with a memorial run on Friday.
The event, which saw Zechariah completing a mile around his school track in Winter Springs, Florida, was supported by local law enforcement and broadcasted live. It brought together not just the local community but also Virgin Islanders who expressed their gratitude for this act of remembrance. The flag carried during the run, along with a note by Zechariah, will be delivered to Detective Phipps's grieving family. The ceremony concluded with a moment of silence and prayer. Zechariah's run will be commemorated in the Running 4 Heroes Tribute Hall, and Detective Phipps's name will be added to the organization's Memorial Wall of Names.
As Zechariah completed his first lap, someone behind the camera provided details of Detective Phipps’s service. During his second lap, the viewing audience was informed that not only the Winter Springs Police Department but also the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and a citizen’s patrol organization for Seminole County, were providing support to Zechariah as he ran his seven laps. Two other runners, including little sister Chloe, completed runs of their own, also in honor of Detective Phipps’s seven years of service in the VIPD.
The commentator explained that the flag the runner was carrying would be delivered to the grieving Phipps family following the run, along with a note written by Zecheriah.
As Zechariah and the procession of squad cars made their way around the track for the last half-mile of the run, the drone of a bagpipe rang out with the notes of Amazing Grace and other hymns of remembrance and honor.
“Our First Responders do so much for us. I want to let them know they are appreciated,” is how Zecheriah explained the organization’s founding. He wants, he says, to honor those who gave up their life so we may live in a better world.
Virgin Islanders from all walks of life tuned in to Friday’s stream, offering praise and thanks to the organization for their decision to honor the memory of the fallen VIPD Detective.
“As a current and active member of the Virgin Islands Police Department, I cannot begin to express my heartfelt gratitude,” wrote one commenter. Other VIPD officers and first responders from other agencies watching on Friday also expressed thanks to Running 4 Heroes for their act of honor and remembrance. The livestream became an impromptu wake of sorts, as members of Detective Phipps’s family, former schoolmates and childhood friends all posted messages of gratitude, encouragement and support.
Following Zecheriah’s run, he alluded to the tragedy of Detective Phipps’s death perhaps having been preventable. “I pray that anybody going through a hard time can find the help they need so police don’t have to keep going to calls like this and sacrificing their own lives sometimes to protect their community," he said. After his brief remarks, the group observed a 21-second moment of silence in lieu of a 21-gun salute, and the ceremony ended with a moment of prayer.
The video of Friday’s run will be available to view at the Running 4 Heroes Tribute Hall in Winter Springs. Delbert Phipps Jr.’s name and photo will also be placed on a 2023 Memorial Wall which will be unveiled in early 2024, and his name will be added to the organization’s Memorial Wall of Names next month.
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