Alumnus Jon Bellona '03, in honor of his Hamilton roommate Michael Cleary '03 and all of the soldiers who have lost their lives in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, has organized a memorial cross-country relay beginning at Fort Irwin, Calif., and finishing at Arlington National Cemetery. Run for the Fallen, as the relay is named, will start on Flag Day, June 14, and end on Sunday, Aug. 24. Erin Kavanagh, to whom Cleary had been engaged, and his sister Shannon Cleary are also organizers of this initiative with Bellona.
The relay team, comprised primarily of Hamilton alumni, will plant a flag with the name of a fallen soldier at each mile on the 4,000-mile route. Shauna Sweet '03, Eric Janes '08, Taylor Janes '06, Triona Dombroski-Fritsch '09 and John McKay '04, along with Bellona, are the Hamiltonians who will take turns running the 13-state route along with Kavanagh and Shannon Cleary. Three other alumni, Andrew McKay '00, BJ Gardiner '03 and John McKay '04, will create a documentary of the effort throughout the summer. The group welcomes interested runners. Additional information is available at www.runforthefallen.org.
The race will memorialize those soldiers who have lost their lives and simultaneously will raise funds for those left behind. Donations will be directed to the Wounded Warrior Project, the Yellow Ribbon Fund, 1st Lt. Michael J. Cleary Memorial Fund and HUGSS (Helping Unite Gold Star Survivors). The initiative has no political affiliation or agenda.
Sponsors of this endeavor include U-Haul, New Balance, Clif Bar and ACT Fastening Solutions along with many motels and inns along the route. USO (United Services Organization) Mobile-West and USO Mobile-East are Run for the Fallen partners and will support military runners at the start and finish of the run. Several veterans groups have also supported the run. Those interested in making monetary contributions may do so by going to www.runforthefallen.org.
The flag dedication markers, which are being made with the help of more than 20 middle and high schools, will create a memorial trail across the United States, connecting cities and towns and passing by many military installations. "The run is a symbolic memorial," said Bellona. "While each flag will represent a soldier who has fallen, the run will stand as one large stitch spanning the width of the nation, coast to coast.
For more information, or to find out how to become a part of Run for the Fallen, please contact director and founder Jon Bellona at 315-404-2239 or jon@runforthefallen.org or Erin Kavanagh at 570-574-3276 or erin@runforthefallen.org Visit the Run for the Fallen website at www.runforthefallen.org. Those interested in following the runners' progress may do so at blog.runforthefallen.org.
The relay team, comprised primarily of Hamilton alumni, will plant a flag with the name of a fallen soldier at each mile on the 4,000-mile route. Shauna Sweet '03, Eric Janes '08, Taylor Janes '06, Triona Dombroski-Fritsch '09 and John McKay '04, along with Bellona, are the Hamiltonians who will take turns running the 13-state route along with Kavanagh and Shannon Cleary. Three other alumni, Andrew McKay '00, BJ Gardiner '03 and John McKay '04, will create a documentary of the effort throughout the summer. The group welcomes interested runners. Additional information is available at www.runforthefallen.org.
The race will memorialize those soldiers who have lost their lives and simultaneously will raise funds for those left behind. Donations will be directed to the Wounded Warrior Project, the Yellow Ribbon Fund, 1st Lt. Michael J. Cleary Memorial Fund and HUGSS (Helping Unite Gold Star Survivors). The initiative has no political affiliation or agenda.
Sponsors of this endeavor include U-Haul, New Balance, Clif Bar and ACT Fastening Solutions along with many motels and inns along the route. USO (United Services Organization) Mobile-West and USO Mobile-East are Run for the Fallen partners and will support military runners at the start and finish of the run. Several veterans groups have also supported the run. Those interested in making monetary contributions may do so by going to www.runforthefallen.org.
The flag dedication markers, which are being made with the help of more than 20 middle and high schools, will create a memorial trail across the United States, connecting cities and towns and passing by many military installations. "The run is a symbolic memorial," said Bellona. "While each flag will represent a soldier who has fallen, the run will stand as one large stitch spanning the width of the nation, coast to coast.
For more information, or to find out how to become a part of Run for the Fallen, please contact director and founder Jon Bellona at 315-404-2239 or jon@runforthefallen.org or Erin Kavanagh at 570-574-3276 or erin@runforthefallen.org Visit the Run for the Fallen website at www.runforthefallen.org. Those interested in following the runners' progress may do so at blog.runforthefallen.org.
