FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
Two Soldiers round the corner, sprinting. The first Soldier buckles into a controlled fall, yelling at his comrade to go on. Undeterred, the second Soldier grabs her battle buddy and continues forward.
They both cross the finish line, and are met by cheers and helping hands. They finished the 10k in just over one hour.
The Spouses' Club of Fort Eustis hosted their first 5k and 10k Warrior Run April 26 at Fort Eustis in support of wounded warriors. Multiple organizations from the local community sponsored and donated to the event, and all proceeds went to wounded warrior rehabilitation efforts.
In addition to the 5k and 10k, the SCFE hosted a "Kid's Fun Run", sponsor tents, a bouncy house and a performance by the U.S Air Force Full Spectrum band. Additionally, the Combat Vets Motorcycle Association Chapter 27-1 motorcyclists led the runners during the 10k.
After the run, participants had a chance to win a number of prize baskets and other raffle items, such as quilts, gardening baskets, trips and more. The top three placeholders for both races also won prizes, and the top three placeholders for different age groups received medals.
A total of 222 runners, including U.S. Army Gen. David Perkins, Training and Doctrine Command commanding general, and Col. William Galbraith, 733rd Mission Support Group commander, participated in the runs. An additional 217 volunteers participated in setting up and executing the day's events.
Every attendee knew they were participating for all the right reasons, said Emily Wilson, a first-time 5k participant.
"I choose this as my first 5k because I felt it was for a great cause - it hits close to home since I am a spouse," said Wilson. "The run supports both [Service members] and their families. That is awesome to me and worth way more than the admission to run."
In the future, Cartwright and other SCFE members hope to see even more participants. They plan to add additional activities for spectators and runners alike.
"We want to do this every year, and we want it to be bigger and better than before," said Cartwright. "We should constantly strive to do more, because those wounded warriors we honored today have sacrificed so much. They deserve this."