JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — A morning of remembrance on Sunday morning in Jacksonville Beach, as almost 400 people showed up to pay their respects to the thousands of lives lost on 9/11. The event served as the Travis Manion Foundation’s 18th annual “9/11 Heroes Run.”
“It’s a great time for them to kind of remember them, honor them, so it’s a very special time for our local Jacksonville community,” Nick Rueda with the Travis Manion Foundation said Sunday.
The 5k run and ruck takes place each year, the weekend after 9/11, hoping to emphasize the importance of not just commemorating the nearly 3,000 lives lost on the day, but continuing year-round.
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“They say you die twice. When you die, and then the last time someone says your name,” Rueda said at Sunday’s walk. “So for Travis [Manion,] saying his name every day is important for us, but also all those that we lost in 9/11, saying their names, remembering them, and [other soldiers from] subsequent wars.”
Now, the event will also look to continue providing a sense of community for all family members and loved ones who have lost a military service member during or following service in the armed forces.
“I lost my own husband in 2018, and so organizations like Travis Manion allow us the opportunity to come out, connect with each other, and honor those that we’ve lost in a different kind of way,” Kristle Helmuth outlined. “Getting out there and getting physical and walking and talking alongside somebody who you know gets it without ever having to say it goes a long way.”
Those interested in learning more information about the Travis Manion Foundation and how they can donate can do so by clicking the link here.
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