RICHMOND, Va. — The 2nd Annual Laps2Honor Walk-a-thon served to share the stories of strength and sacrifice of Richmond's military heroes.
The event, held Saturday in Richmond's Byrd Park, remembers Richmond service members who have received the Medal of Honor.
"There are 10 recipients from this citiy that have done things of of courage , self-sacrifice, and integrity. With all the strife Richmond has had in the past, our idea is to help push us forward and focus on the values of those actions,” Monumental Honor president Ian Berry said.
The stories of bravery were read following people walking a lap around Swan Lake in their honor.
Around the lake, signs were posted to commemorate each recipient's life.
Students from Army Sustainment University at Fort Gregg-Adams were there to share even more about the lives the heroes lived.
2nd Lt. Diane Erickson shared how much she loved learning the stories and sharing them with others.
“I really feel for them. It’s scary to be in those situations. Not knowing what to do and sometimes you just want to hide," she said. "He was really brave and went into the line of fire and it’s really brave."
This event also touched Erickson's classmate 2nd Lt. Madison Dubos.
“We may not be under fire but we all can take away being brave and doing the right thing and making sacrifices,” Dubos said.
Monumental Honor has a goal of creating scholarships named for each Medal of Honor recipient.
They are also working to find more ways to help Richmonders learn these individuals' stories through memorials and community events.
Berry said he was moved to see people in attendance learning about the recipients.
“I want them to get the chills when they hear those stories but I want them to leave having known they conquered nine miles around the lake and knowing those same values can be felt within themselves,” he said.
Click here to learn more about the Medal of Honor recipients.
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