9/11 Heroes Run on Belle Isle seeks to keep alive the memory of lives lost in attacks
To help keep the memory of the lives lost in the Sept. 11 attacks carried out against the United States by terrorists, the Travis Manion Foundation, a nonprofit veterans group, has organized a run Saturday morning at Belle Isle.
"At its heart, the 9/11 Heroes Run is a personal commitment to never forget the heroes of that day," the foundation said. "Communities come together to run, walk or ruck, not just to honor the fallen, but to continue the legacies of character, leadership, and service that they left behind."
The Detroit 9/11 Heroes Run, which includes 5K and 1 Mile races, is part of a several annual events scheduled in about 90 cities nationwide during the next few days leading up to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
Racers can register online at 911heroesrun.org or in person starting at 7 a.m., with the races beginning at 9 a.m. with an awards ceremony at 10:15 a.m. Registration fees range from $25 for individuals to $130 for a family of four.
Nationwide, the foundation is expecting about 60,000 participants.
The Manion family formed the foundation, based in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, in 2007 after Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion was killed in sniper fire during a mission in Fallujah, Iraq. Manion, a Naval Academy graduate, died while attempting to draw fire from his patrol.
Manion, who was 26 when he died, was awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star with Valor.
General Motors Foundation and Chevrolet were among the early sponsors of the runs in 2011.
Before Manion left for his last tour, he visited Rescue One in New York City, the First Responder unit that lost more than half its members helping others following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"After a day of sharing their experiences with Travis, he came home even more inspired to serve our country," his mother, Janet Manion, said. "He gave his father a Rescue One hat that read 'Never Forget' and asked that his father wear it while he was gone."
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Run in Detroit, other cities to remember lives lost in 9/11 attacks
