For many Americans, Memorial Day has come to signify the beginning of summer — a time for picnics, festivals and the opening of swimming pools. This year, Trish Shallenberger, founder of A Soldier’s Hands, hopes to shift some of the focus back to the original purpose of the holiday as a time to honor service members who have given their lives in service to our country, including fallen military and first responders.
Teaming up with the Pennsylvania Military Museum and the national nonprofit Carry the Load, Shallenberger’s organization is organizing a somber 5K Walk to Remember Our Fallen at 8 a.m. Saturday on the grounds of the military museum in Boalsburg.
The event will kick off with the pledge of allegiance, the singing of the national anthem, an opening prayer and a veterans’ address by Capt. Mike Majewski, professor of naval science with Penn State ROTC. A 21-gun salute will conclude the walk at 10 a.m.
In attendance will be honored guest Roy Edmundson, whose son, Spec. Chad A. Edmunson, was killed in action on 2009 on the same date as the walk, May 27, while serving in the Pennsylvania National Guard as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Altoona Veterans Administration Medical Center, PA National Guard Soldier and Family Readiness Specialists, Heroes and Horses therapeutic riding program andPennsylvania Survivor Outreach Services are just a few of the area veterans’ organizations that will be set up onsite to provide support and information about their services.
At the A Soldier’s Hands table, participants will be encouraged to write letters of support to deployed soldiers, to be placed inside individual care packages which the organization ships to entire deployed military units. In addition to letters, the packages generally include personal care items such as sunscreen and hand lotion, as well as candy, Girl Scout cookies and other treats.
The organization recently sent more than 5,000 packages to the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and next plans to send packages to every member of the Texas Ranger unit guarding the southern border and to deployed military in Qatar.
“We have a big goal to send out 10,000 care packages this year, and that is going to take about $200,000,” Shallenberger said.
As such, registration for the Walk to Remember requests (but does not require) a $20 donation, which will support their mission. But for Shallenberger, the event is about something more than fundraising.
“The mission is to take a moment to be calm and reflect on what Memorial Day is all about,” she said. “Our hope is that this will become an annual event. I’m a big believer in planting seeds and trusting that they will be harvested.”
The event will be held rain or shine. Those who register in advance will receive a T-shirt, but last-minute registrations will also be accepted the morning of the walk. Register by following the Walk to Remember links at asoldiershands.org.
