Water Canyon High School students organized a 5k run on Sunday afternoon in honor of math teacher Sukanaivalu Suka Faiga, according to a November 2 report.
Faiga died Oct. 19 following a two-year battle with cancer. Despite rain and wind, between 30 and 40 teachers, students, and former students gathered at Maxwell Park at 4 p.m. for the event.
The 5k route looped past Water Canyon School before finishing back at Maxwell Park. Science teacher Drew Mills, who helped facilitate the event, said the student council approached him with the idea and proceeded with the plan.
In a Facebook post regarding the run, students invited the community to show respect to Faiga, describing him as a teacher, mentor, father, and friend. The students intended to raise money to assist Faiga's wife and two children with living and funeral expenses.
An online fundraiser started by Matt Reynolds of LaVerkin had raised approximately $11,500 as of Monday, Nov. 2.
Mills stated that Faiga was a funny individual with a smile that could light up a room and noted that students loved him.
Faiga, 49, taught at Water Canyon for seven years. While fighting cancer for two years, he maintained a goal of running a 5k every month, which he accomplished until June.
Faiga was born Aug. 19, 1977, in Lomaloma, Fiji. After serving a mission in Fiji for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he attended BYU-Hawaii and graduated from Brigham Young University in 2008 with a degree in mathematics education. He was working toward a master's degree at the time of his death.
He married his wife, Brittany, in 2005 after meeting at BYU-Hawaii. They have two children, Epeli and Loraini.
