Thousands gathered at Reverchon Park in Dallas Sunday for the annual “Carry the Load” Memorial March, honoring military veterans, first responders, firefighters and police officers lost in the line of duty.
Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, family and friends strapped on backpacks emblazoned with photographs of loved ones and walked the Katy Trail.
For 31 days leading up to Memorial Day, thousands of people participate around the country. The march culminates in Dallas.
For 9-year-old David and 7-year-old Josh Lee, the walk is a way to remember their dad, Sgt. Dick Lee. He was killed by an IED serving in Afghanistan in 2012.
“He was always there whenever I needed him the most,” said David. Both boys wore shirts that read, “I love Daddy,” and had backpacks strapped on.
One of his fellow veterans walks with Sgt. Lee’s sons and wife carrying a 28-pound log engraved with his name.
A group of nearly 200 people represented 22kill, a group working to raise awareness about what they are calling a suicide epidemic among veterans.
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Sgt. Ben Adams of Addison committed suicide on May 3, making this walk mean even more for Michael Brauner.
“We’re walking today in his memory, pushing through to the other side, using him for fuel to go forward,” Brauner said. “We lose 22 veterans a day to suicide.”
Carry the Load is a non-profit. They raised more than $1.7 million in support of programs for veterans and first responders this year.
Below is the schedule for Sunday and Monday:
Sunday, May 28
o 12:00 p.m.: Gates open, activities begin (Kid's Zone, Food Trucks, VIP Village)
o 1:30 p.m.: Music performance by Blaq Label
o 3:30 p.m.: Opening ceremony
§ Optimal time for coverage is prior to opening ceremony when relay team walks into the park.
o 4:30 p.m.: Memorial March begins
§ Optimal time for b-roll of large group of people walking
o 6:00 p.m.: Vietnam Veterans Pinning Ceremony
o 7:30 p.m.: Boy Scouts Ceremony
o 8:00 p.m.: Connection movie, featuring Glen Dare
Monday, May 29
o Early a.m.: Interviews available on-site.
o 10:00 a.m.: National Moment of Remembrance video
o 1:30 p.m.: Closing procession, performance by Deryl Dodd
§ Optimal time for coverage prior to closing ceremony, as all walkers will gather and journey in together.
o 3:00 p.m.: Celebrations conclude with a National Moment of Remembrance and flyover.
