FAMILIES & SUPPORTERS OF FALLEN TROOPS TACKLE ARMY TEN-MILER ON SUNDAY
Widows, Children, Parents, Siblings and Supporters Run to Remember Service Members & Loved Ones
Runners Raise Thousands to Help Families of our Fallen Military Through TAPS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 15, 2012
WASHINGTON, DC – For a special group of 60+ runners tackling the Army Ten-Miler this Sunday, every step will be laced with memories and celebrates lives given in service to country. The nearly $25,000 raised by the runners will help the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) provide compassionate care for the families of America’s fallen military heroes. The race starts near the Pentagon on Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 8:00 a.m.
Course spectators are encouraged to cheer for the TAPS Run & Remember Team members on the course. Look for the red, white and blue TAPS running singlets. TAPS runners typically have a photo of the person they are running to remember displayed on the back of their shirt or singlet.
A few of the 60+ TAPS runners to watch at the Army Ten-Miler:
- Lina Ahearn, of Alexandria, Va., is running to remember her husband, Army Major James Ahearn, who was killed in action in Iraq in 2007. She met her husband in Baghdad and moved to the United States in 2005.
- Marie Campbell, of Arlington, Texas, is running to remember her husband, Air Force Sergeant Dee “Soup” Campbell, who died in 1996 when a terrorist truck bomb exploded in Saudi Arabia and took the lives of 19 airmen. As director of the TAPS Run & Remember Team, Campbell inspires and coordinates hundreds of survivors and supporters to run in memory of our fallen military heroes.
- Penni Harrison, of Colorado Springs, Colo., is running to remember her husband, Army Colonel James Harrison, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2007. She will be running alongside their three sons, Braden, Joshua and Ross.
- Melanie Graham Quinn, of Cambridge, Mass., is running to remember her brothers, Kevin and Jeffrey Graham. Army Second Lieutenant Jeffrey Graham was killed in action in Iraq in 2004, only months after their brother, Kevin Graham, an ROTC cadet who wanted to be a military doctor, lost his battle with depression and died by suicide. She will be running with her husband, Joe Quinn, who served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with the Army and lost his brother, Jimmy Quinn, in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
-Raebeca Harp, of Alamogordo, N.M., is running to remember her husband, Army National Guard Sergeant Arnold Harp III, who died in an accident in 2010.
- Jennifer Loredo, of Alexandria, Va., is running to remember her husband, Army Staff Sergeant Edwardo Loredo, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010.
- Rebecca Morrison, of Grand Prairie, Texas, is running to remember her husband, Army Captain Ian Morrison, who died by suicide in March 2012.
- Jackie Syverson, of Carlisle, Penn., is running to remember her husband, Army Major Paul Syverson III, who was killed in action in 2004 in Iraq.
- Sarah White, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., is running to remember her husband, Army Chief Warrant Officer Kenneth White, who died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan in 2010.
Health Net Federal Services and Telos® Corporation sponsor the TAPS Run & Remember Team at the Army Ten-Miler. You can contribute to TAPS and support the runners through www.taps.org.
About TAPS
Since its founding in 1994 by bereaved military families, TAPS has helped more than 35,000 surviving family members and caregivers coping with a military death. TAPS provides peer-based emotional support, grief and trauma resources, grief seminars for adults, Good Grief Camps for children, casualty case work assistance, connections to community-based care and a 24/7 resource and information helpline for all who have been affected by a death in the Armed Forces. Services are provided free of charge. For more information go to www.taps.org or call the toll-free crisis line at 800.959.TAPS.
About the Army Ten-Miler
The Army's 28th annual Army Ten-Miler (ATM) race is scheduled for Sunday, October 21 in Washington, DC at the U.S. Pentagon. Produced by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington (MDW) this prestigious race attracts more than 30,000 military and civilian runners from around the word. All race proceeds benefit Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) that supports Soldier and Soldier family programs. The Army’s premier running event is the third largest 10-mile race in the world. The two-day Health & Fitness Expo preceding the race hosts over 75 exhibitors and 35,000 attendees. Race day activities include a "world class" race with elite athletes, live music, Hooah Tents from Army installations around the world showing military pride, youth runs presented by Health Net, and interactive Army displays. For more information about this race classic, visit www.armytenmiler.com.
Media Contact
Media seeking to talk with TAPS runners or more information about TAPS may contact Ami Neiberger-Miller, office 202.588.8277, ami@taps.org. Media seeking access to the Army Ten-Miler course must request press credentials from the race organizers at usarmy.mcnair.mdw.mbx.atm-media@mail.mil and should check www.armytenmiler.com for the latest information about the race.
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