Hundreds of runners remember 9/11, honor fallen Marine
LITHIA - Runners laced up their sneakers and pounded the pavement Saturday morning to mark a somber anniversary.
More than 600 runners ran to the beat of a drumline playing in the Fish Hawk Creek neighborhood in Lithia as they marked the 21st anniversary of September 11.
"Really here to remember 9/11 and remember this feeling that people had in this country on 9/12 that sense of unity that we had. That’s sometimes hard to find these days," said Beau Higgins, the race director for the 9/11 Heroes Run 5K.
Though it’s not easy to think about 9/11, spirits were high as runners and families came together for the 9/11 Heroes Run.
The foundation held races in 90 locations across the country with 60,000 total participants.
Proceeds from the 5k race went to the Travis Manion Foundation, who was killed in 2007 while helping two of his injured teammates get to safety.
READ: 'Preserving that memory': Palm Harbor 9/11 memorial dedicated to remembering victims, heroes
"Travis Manion was actually a Marine who was under my command at first recon battalion in Iraq when he was killed by a sniper. I was there the day he was killed," Higgins recalled. "As a result of that, it’s a very personal mission to me to commemorate his honor, do these races and just be part of the foundation and give back," said Beau Higgins, the race director for the 9/11 Heroes Run 5K.
More than 600 runners rook part in a race to mark the 21st anniversary of 9/11.
The foundation held races in 90 locations across the country with 60,000 total participants.
"We exist to empower veterans and families of the fallen. To be leaders in their community. So, all of the proceeds from races like this today will be going back to those veterans, to those families of the fallen with everything from grief support, healing expeditions for surviving family members, leadership development programs for veterans, and most importantly, our mentoring program that pairs veterans and families of the fallen with local youth to develop character," explained Molly Bartnick with the Travis Manion Foundation.
LINK: Click here to get involved or to donate.