By Christine Bryant
Staff Writer
A runner from last year’s race emerging from a muddy tunnel.
Covered in mud and sweat, teams will once again navigate a challenging obstacle course in the name of honoring heroes and raising funds for military families.
The Reynoldsburg Division of Police, the city of Reynoldsburg Parks and Recreation and the Truro Township Fire Department are teaming up to host the second annual Heroes for Heroes 5K Obstacle Team Challenge. All money raised will go to Hope for the Warriors, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring a sense of self, family and hope for veterans, service members and military families.
This year’s event will take place from 7 to 11 a.m. Sept. 11 at Civic Park, 6800 Daugherty Drive.
“This date has been chosen specifically to honor and recognize the 15th anniversary of 9/11,” said Bailey Sparks, spokesperson for the event and command and staff administrative assistant for the Reynoldsburg Police Department.
The race consists of teams of two to four members, costing $60 per team.
“The majority of the course is back in the wooded area of Civic Park and racers can expect to get muddy,” Sparks said. “There are also obstacles along the way, including a river crossing, an Israeli sled pull, an 8-foot wall and a mud pit.”
Awards will be given to the top three teams, she said.
Now in its third year, the Reynoldsburg Police Department originally created the event to give back to the service community and help contribute to the positive relationship between service members and civilians, Sparks said. The first year, several teams from the U.S. Army participated, and last year, the race consisted of only civilians.
“This year, we are hoping to change that and have more teams from local police and fire departments,” Sparks said.
Military families founded Hope For The Warriors in 2006 at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., as they witnessed, firsthand, the effects war imparts on service members and their families.
Hope For The Warriors has expanded both the span of programs offered and the number of wounded, family members and families of the fallen assisted, offering programs such as career readiness, entrepreneurship and leadership development, clinical support services, critical care coordination, support services for those living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and caregiver support services.
For details or to register, go to racepenguin.com/event/heroesforheroes or hopeforthewarriors.org.
