JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Thousands of runners, walkers and flag bearers filled Jacksonville streets Saturday morning for the Wounded Warrior Project’s Carry Forward 5K, a turnout race organizers described as another record.
The event is staged in the city the Wounded Warrior Project calls home. It brings together veterans, military families and neighbors to back post-9/11 service members, veterans and their families. People jogged, walked or toted flags to show their support.
Walt Piatt, the organization’s chief executive, told the crowd that the country is 250 years old because the nation’s military is a year older than that, and that events like this one are a way to honor people who served. He said Jacksonville is a beautiful place to live because those troops defend the country, and that Saturday was a day to carry their mission forward.
Mayor Donna Deegan attended and said that every year she comes out she gets to report that the city broke a record again. She called the growing turnout a sign of how much people appreciate the military community here.
Money raised through the race supports programs the group offers injured veterans and their families without charging them, organizers said. One count of the morning put participation above 3,600 people. The Wounded Warrior Project uses those programs to keep veterans healthy and connected after they leave the service, and Saturday’s crowd was another reminder of how strongly Jacksonville shows up for that work year after year here.
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