Baltimore City Hosts Memorial Day 5K In Support Of U.S. Navy SEALs
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Baltimore City police and firefighters, moms, dads and kids and Maryland's first lady were all running Monday morning in a special Memorial Day 5K in Baltimore.
Ron Matz has more on the benefit for U.S. Navy SEALs.
The inaugural Special Operations Memorial Day 5K filled the streets of Canton this morning in a benefit for the U.S. Navy SEAL Foundation.
The run was sponsored by Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #3, Baltimore City Firefighters Local 734 and the folks at Boston Street Running.
"This came about because I was in the Boston Street running store a couple of months. I met the owner, Miguel, and he suggested we do something on Memorial Day to honor our special ops veterans who have been killed or injured in Iraq or Afghanistan," explained Bob Cherry, president of the Fraternal Order of Police.
Mike has been a Navy SEAL for 15 years.
"We've lost a lot of SEALs on the battlefield, and they leave behind families, kids, most of them young kids, and those kids when they grow up it's hard financially without a dad. The NSW Foundation through efforts like this, this race, help to provide education for those kids," said Mike, U.S. Navy SEAL.
"To me knowing when I go out on the battlefield that if something happened to me my wife and family would be taken care of, that confidence lets me focus on the mission," he continued.
About 400 runners crossed the finish line, including Maryland First Lady Katie O'Malley.
"I'm here to support the Navy SEALs and their families and all they're doing for our country. It's our inaugural race here. I wanted to be out here early in the morning to support this great cause and our city of Baltimore," O'Malley said.
It's a special Memorial Day for these runners and for Baltimore—winners all around.
"I want to do something to contribute to this day," said Hallie Andrew, of Canton. "People have kind of made it national barbecue day, and I don't think that's what it's about. It's about paying respect to the people who have served our country, and I think that's what this race does."
All proceeds from registration and entry fees at Monday's run will be donated to the U.S. Navy SEAL Foundation.
"We hope to do this every Memorial Day. Let's keep it going. This is the only race in Baltimore City that is on this day, so we want to grow it so it will become a tradition in Baltimore," Cherry said.
The first runner to cross the finish line completed the 5K in 17 minutes.
