Cathedral Catholic senior Fiona Tomlin is a public relations intern for the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF), which is sponsoring the 9/11 Heroes Run at Mission Trails in honor of the first responders who lost their lives one decade ago. The 5K run honors all of America’s fallen heroes and will be held on Sunday, September 11th at 8 A.M.
Speaking on behalf of TMF, Fiona said that they currently have 500 runners registered, but are expecting most of their registries the day of the run.
“I come from a military family,” Fiona said, “so I feel that it is really important to remember and honor the fallen. A motto of the foundation is to challenge the living and honor the fallen, so it’s really exciting for all of the runners to challenge themselves for a good cause.”
First Lieutenant Travis Manion was a Naval Academy Graduate who served in Iraq and was killed in 2007 while defending against an ambush. After his death, his family began receiving checks in his memory, so they decided to start dedicating the money to a cause close to their son’s heart. Money raised by the foundation is used for scholarships and donated to disabled and wounded veterans and families of the fallen.
Fiona said, “Travis used to always say, ‘If not me, then who?”’ And I think that we can all learn to apply this to our own lives. I hope that the Cathedral Catholic community will take the time to think, ‘If not us, then who?’ and come out and support. It will be a great way to honor the spirit of Travis and all of our fallen heroes.”
“Cheerleaders are needed jut as much as runners,” she said. “It is a great opportunity for service hours.”
The annual run is held in more than 28 locations nationwide to celebrate all of America’s first responders serving the country. Some additional races are also held at American military bases in other countries.
“Mission Trails is a somewhat convenient location for a lot of Cathedral students, so I hope we can all make the effort to challenge ourselves ad honor both our living and fallen heroes. Their sacrifices were and continue to be so selfless, so I think that the least we can do is show our thanks by supporting this event,” Fiona said.
Those interested in participating can register online at active.com or register early the day of the event.
Any questions about the 9/11 Heroes Run or about TMF can be directed at travismanion.com or at Fiona’s email, [email protected].