By Sandra Meyer
Shortly after the death of 1st Lt. Travis Manion in Iraq on April 29, 2007, the fallen Marine’s mother, the late Janet Manion, founded the Travis Manion Foundation to assist our nation’s veterans and families of the fallen.
Headquartered in Doylestown, Penn. with another office in San Diego, the foundation is focused on assisting the nation’s veterans and families of the fallen.
The words Travis spoke before leaving for his second and final deployment to Iraq – “If not me, then who…” – have inspired a national movement that is growing rapidly. Veterans and families of the fallen are spearheading this movement to build a nation of heroes in which character, leadership and service are in action every day.
“He was very interested and involved in his community and specifically intrigued with first responders. He had a lot of personal impact with 9/11 which is kind of what launched his career with the military,” explained Run Committee Member Carolann Weirdo.
“I think this is a great opportunity for people to acknowledge the sacrifices that these folks and their families have made to provide us with a safe country,” she added.
The Travis Manion Foundation engages with veterans and families of the fallen in all stages of their personal journeys and offers them unique opportunities to empower them to achieve their goals. They are challenging themselves and others to continue the service to community and country exemplified by the nation’s fallen heroes and veterans.
The 9/11 Heroes Run unites communities internationally with the goal to never forget the sacrifices of the heroes of September 11th and in the wars since: Veteran, first responder, civilian, and military. The 9/11 Heroes Run 5k run welcomes runners and walkers of all levels and of all ages. A large portion of the funds raised through the 9/11 Heroes Run are invested back into the race communities to support local veterans, first responders, troops and military families. The remaining proceeds support the Travis Manion Foundation’s community building projects.
The race takes place on Saturday, September 12 at 8 a.m. at Randall Middle School located at 16510 FishHawk Blvd. To register, visit 911HEROESRUN.ORG.
You must be logged in to post a comment.