BOALSBURG — For the second year in a row, A Soldier’s Hands, in partnership with the national nonprofit Carry the Load, will kick off Memorial Day weekend on the morning of Saturday, May 25, with a somber 5K walk at the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg.
It is fitting that this event occurs in the location of the “Birthplace of Memorial Day” because, according to Trish Shallenberger, founder of A Soldier’s Hands, the purpose of A Walk to Remember Our Fallen is to bring to the forefront the original intention of the holiday as a time to honor fallen service members.
“It’s important to never forget those that have served, and to never stop saying their names,” Shallenberger said.
Toward that end, the event’s race bibs will include a space for people to mark the names of the people whose memory they are “carrying,” and a board on which to write their names as well.
Shallenberger explained she based the concept of the walk on the mission of Carry the Load.
“Carry the Load started in 2011 after two Navy SEALs came home from serving and thought they came back to an apathetic America. It was very unsettling to them. So, they got a flag and they started walking,” Shallenberger explained.
Today, Carry the Load sponsors five major relay walks which travel through each of the lower 48 states before culminating in a two-day Memorial March in Dallas, Texas, on Memorial Day weekend. Shallenberger said the organization chose 50 nonprofits to partner with this year, and A Soldier’s Hands was one of them.
“I feel pretty honored that we were selected to be a part of their efforts,” Shallenberger shared.
While Carry the Load’s mission is to make sure fallen soldiers are not forgotten, A Soldier’s Hands’ mission focuses on ensuring that currently serving soldiers are not forgotten either. The organization provides individual care packages to troops in deployed military units. Currently, they are working on assembling care packages for the 1,100 troops from the 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard deployed in the Horn of Africa. Registration fees for the Walk to Remember is $25 per adult or $20 per veteran. Proceeds from the registration fees will support this effort.
The event will kick off at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 25, with the Pledge of Allegiance, the singing of the national anthem, an opening prayer and a keynote address by Ret. Army Sgt. Adam Hartswick. Honored guests will include the Gold Star families of Brian Clarkson and Chad Edmundson. Approximately 10 local veterans organizations will be on hand to provide support and information about their services.
The walk itself will entail six laps, totaling 5 kilometers, around the paved grounds of the Military Museum. “Taps” and a 21-gun salute will conclude the walk at 9:45 a.m.
Last year’s inaugural Walk to Remember drew about 139 walkers, Shallenberger said, and her goal is to have 300 participants this year.
The walk will be held rain or shine. Those who register in advance will receive a T-shirt, but last-minute registrations will also be accepted the morning of the walk.
To register, visit runsignup.com/Race/PA/Boalsburg/ASoldiersHands.