This Wounded Warrior Project Carry Forward 5K post is part of a sponsored campaign.
There are a lot of ways to make an impact in the lives of others and I’m thrilled to share one of my favorites with you. The Wounded Warrior Project Carry Forward 5K, delivered by CSX®, is an important mission of honoring and empowering wounded warriors. It is a wonderful way to help those who have fought for us by supporting programs they need to live life to the fullest on their own terms.
WHAT IS THE CARRY FORWARD 5K?
The Carry Forward 5K “I Carry For …” campaign is a way for all of us to honor and empower wounded warriors, veterans, and active duty military members. It’s a great way to share who we are “carrying for” as well as a powerful and unifying experience that will help raise critical funds for services and resources for wounded veterans.
WHAT MAKES THE CARRY FORWARD 5K UNIQUE?
Participants are able to choose one of three symbolic ways to support the cause:
- Carry a flag to show support and patriotism.
- Carry a weight to represent the responsibilities veterans carry while serving our country.
- Carry another person to symbolize one warrior carrying another in their time of need.
HOW CAN YOU JOIN THE CARRY FORWARD 5K IN PERSON?
Find a Carry Forward 5K in your area and join the fun locally!
HOW CAN YOU JOIN THE CARRY FORWARD 5K VIRTUALLY?
Join the Carry Forward 5K virtual event! To participate virtually, follow these easy steps:
REGISTER & PLAN
Organize your 5K as a solo run/walk or with friends and family and ensure everyone registers. Plan out your 5K details including your location and fundraising goal. You can find great fundraising ideas to get you started.
GET READY & GO
You’ll be sent an official Carry Forward SWAG kit packed with a drawstring bag, finisher medal, bib, sweatband, neck gaiter, and eye blacks. On Saturday, September 19, gear up and complete your 5K.
WHO WILL I CARRY FOR?
My kids and I will be carrying for a dear family friend. He was kind enough to let me share his story with you so I can express why this campaign means so much to my family, and to his.
When we first moved into our neighborhood, I became great friends with a girl that lived down the street. My husband became friends with her husband and we enjoyed spending time together and hanging out at the lake.
We spent a lot of time with them the first few months, getting to know them and enjoying their company. After talking daily for many weeks, we suddenly stopped hearing from them.
I reached out numerous times but never got a response. My husband and I wondered if we had done something wrong or if there was some reason that they were suddenly avoiding us.
Finally, after a few months without contact, I saw my friend at the neighborhood pool. I was thrilled to see her and we ended up chatting for hours about how things had been going.
As it turned out, her husband was suffering from PTSD and had been having a really, really rough time. Since I didn’t even know he’d served in the military, it was a shock to me. My friend told me that they didn’t share his military history often because it was too upsetting for him to talk about what he’d gone through.
That really struck me.
I’d heard about PTSD before, of course, but had no idea how the trauma and violence that my friend experienced could still affect his life so drastically.
My friend told me that her husband was getting help from Wounded Warrior Project® and that she was optimistic for the first time in months. It was the first time I’d heard of WWP and I was relieved to hear that there was a group willing to give him the help and support that he needed and deserved. It has been one of my favorite campaigns to donate to and to share with others since that very day.
My friend and I, along with several other friends and family members, will be carrying in a virtual 5K on Memorial Day for her husband, our friend. It’s a small way to try to give back for everything he gave for our country.
WHO WILL YOU CARRY FOR?
Register HERE for the Carry Forward 5K in your area.
Register HERE for the VIRTUAL nationwide event.
Join us in honoring and empowering wounded warriors. This is a great way to support a community of heroes and to help them live life to the fullest on their own terms.
Let’s CARRY FOR those who truly deserve our support!
LEARN MORE
Click here to learn more about Wounded Warrior Project.
