VA cemeteries to host National Day of Service events on 9/11

More than 60 Department of Veterans Affairs national cemeteries will host National Day of Service events Sept. 11. The nationwide events will honor the veterans, service members, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders who served and sacrificed for the nation on Sept. 11, 2001 and in the 22 years since, according to a VA release.

The NCA is partnering with Carry The Load to put on the event. To learn more and view a list of participating cemeteries and start times, visit here. Volunteers may register here.

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VA to Mark 9/11 Attack Anniversary with Volunteer Opportunities at Cemeteries

This Sept. 11, more than 60 Veterans Affairs cemeteries will hold volunteer events as part of the National Day of Service, welcoming VA employees, veterans, family members and the public to take part in beautification efforts on their grounds.

The events are meant to honor the service members, veterans, law enforcement officers, firefighters and other first responders who served on that day, as well as post-9/11 veterans who gave their lives for their country in the past 22 years, according to the VA.

The volunteer opportunities at the VA cemeteries mark the fifth year that Carry the Load, a nonprofit founded by two Navy SEALS to promote remembrance of fallen heroes on Memorial Day, has partnered with the VA's National Cemetery Administration for the events.

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Carry The Load Hosts the 12th Annual Dallas Memorial March

The Nation’s Flagship Event on Memorial Day Weekend 

Dallas (May 1, 2023) Carry The Load, a non-profit that provides active ways to connect  Americans to the sacrifices of our military, veterans, first responders, and their families, will host  its 12th Annual Dallas Memorial March on Memorial Day weekend at Reverchon Park in Dallas. The event starts on Sunday, May 28 at 12:00 PM and continues through the night until Monday,  May 29 at 1:30 PM. It is a culmination of a 20,000-mile National Relay that covers 48 states in  32 days as a part of Carry The Load’s Memorial May Awareness Program.  

The Dallas Memorial March is Carry The Load’s flagship event that takes place on Memorial  Day weekend. It is a two-day embodiment of Carry The Load’s values and mission to celebrate  our heroes, remember the fallen, and educate communities on how to respectfully observe  Memorial Day. It features inspirational speeches, stories of fallen heroes, flag ceremonies,  walking route, storyboard procession, live music, Carry The Flag Kids Zone, and more. 

"Memorial Day is not just for those who have served or who have lost loved ones in service, it's  for all of us to unite and honor the sacrifices made for our freedom,” says Stephen Holley, co founder, president and CEO of Carry The Load and Veteran U.S. Navy SEAL. “We invite  everyone to join us, walk alongside us, and pay tribute to those who have given the ultimate  sacrifice.” 

In addition to providing emotional healing, Carry The Load raises much needed funds to assist  with the many challenges facing our military, veterans, first responders and their families. “Our  goal this Memorial May is to raise $2.25 million through peer-to-peer fundraising,” says Holley. 

"We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our fundraising teams and corporate partners for  their unwavering support and generous contributions,” says Holley. “We continue to honor our  fallen service members and further our mission to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day because of the tremendous people who show they care." 

Sponsors of the 2023 Dallas Memorial March include Andrews Distributing; Bandera Ventures;  Builders FirstSource; Coors Light; Energy Transfer; Frito-Lay (PepsiCo); Henry Schein, Inc.;  Hillwood; JCPenney; JPMorgan Chase; KLTY; Peinado Construction; Turner Construction  Company; USAA; WFAA; Wiley X; and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Many other corporate  partners and their employees will be onsite at the Dallas Memorial March to show their support. 

The Dallas Memorial March is a family-friendly event for people from all walks of life.  Registration is complimentary and encouraged at http://www.carrytheload.org/Memorial-May

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ABOUT CARRY THE LOAD 

Carry The Load is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to provide active ways to  connect Americans to the sacrifices made by our military, veterans, first responders, and their  families. In 2011, Veteran U.S. Navy SEALs Stephen Holley and Clint Bruce completed a 20-

hour, 11-minute Memorial March around White Rock Lake in Dallas. They marched to remind  the nation about the true meaning of the sacrifices made for our freedom. More than a decade  later, Carry The Load is a nationwide movement that honors our nation’s heroes and makes  Memorial Day matter again. For more, visit www.carrytheload.org or  

www.carrytheload.org/media-resources.

Carry The Load Volunteers Honor Fallen Military and First Responders Across the Nation

Non-Profit Kicks off its Annual Memorial May Awareness Campaign

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Carry The Load, a non-profit that provides active ways to connect Americans to the sacrifices of our military, veterans, first responders, and their families, kicks off its Memorial May campaign on Thursday, April 27 to raise awareness for the true meaning of Memorial Day. Thousands of volunteers will walk in Carry The Load’s National Relay which spans 20,000 miles, 48 states, and 85 rallies. The five relay routes converge at the Dallas Memorial March on Memorial Day weekend.

Click here to read the full press release.

WFAA’s Chris Sadeghi joins J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge

This is the first time the race was back in person for the first time in almost 20 years.

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Retired Air Force Lt. Col. is sole volunteer at Baton Rouge National Cemetery service day

At the U.S. National Cemetery in Baton Rouge on Friday, the Veterans Administration grounds crew stood ready for scores of volunteers to scrub hundreds of headstones.

A National Day of Service was organized by the service group Carry The Load to recognize the men and women who have enlisted in the U.S. military since 9/11.

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More than 1,000 volunteers teamed up to clean Houston National Cemetery for 9/11 Day of Service

We will never forget the memory of fallen soldiers who gave their lives for the U.S. and as part of 9/11 Day of Service, more than 1,000 volunteers spent their Saturday cleaning up the Houston National Cemetery.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the greater Houston area and its volunteer service arm, JustServe joined together at 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, along with the veteran’s charity group, Carry The Load to participate in the cleanup.

Volunteers worked on painting faces and structures as well as cleaning and straightening headstones, leaving flowers, and picking up debris.

"I think what struck me is the sheer volume," said volunteer Camille Leatham on the clean-up attendance. "I’m doing a little service, but [fallen veterans] gave so much."

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MOBILE COUNTY Volunteers clean headstones as a way to honor fallen soldiers

MOBILE, Ala. — Nonprofit organization Carry the Load is partnering with the National Cemetery Organization to host a “Day of Service” where volunteers help clean the headstones of fallen soldiers as a way to honor them.

As the 21 year anniversary of the September 11 attacks approaches, Volunteers at Mobile National Cemetery off Virginia Street were there to honor those lives lost.

Volunteers such as Christina Wayne were there help clean the headstones. Also a retired Air Force veteran, she took time to reflect on her service as well as what happened on 9/11.

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North Texans honor 21st anniversary of 9/11 terror attacks through service

A weekend of commemorations here in North Texas will honor the victims of the 9/11 attacks and first responders. For many, it is an opportunity to give public service or to connect with younger people who were born after the attacks.

The event, which was organized by Carry The Load, brought together people directly impacted by 9/11 and others who want to show they care.

"I remember exactly where I was that day as those events unfolded. That lit a fire in me and countless others," Navy veteran Cody Bandars recalled.

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Dayton National Cemetery honors fallen 9/11 first responders

(DAYTON) People here in the Miami Valley are giving back to remember the fallen first responders. Dozens of volunteers showed up to the cemetery to honor the men and women buried in VA National Cemeteries by cleaning headstones of the fallen and beautifying sacred grounds.

“It’s a day that veterans and their supporters can pull together so for camaraderie, for service, for physical activity,” said Bernie Huelsman, VP of Marketing at Chase Bank. “So it’s a way for those veterans to get together to share their experiences to contribute to the cemeteries in the memories of other veterans.”

The VA National Cemetery Association partnered with Carry the Load to host the event that recognized the 3,000 lives lost and the more than 6,000 who were hurt in the four coordinated attacks.

View the story here.