Photos and article by Mary Alice Murphy
Walk for the Heroes 102222
Walk for the Heroes 102222
Gaffney-Oglesby Marine Corps League Detachment 1328 Color Guard prepares to present the colors.
Walk for the Heroes 102222
Grant County Treasurer Patrick Cohn served as emcee
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Lining up to run or walk the 5K or around the campus.
Walk for the Heroes 102222
supporting veterans
Walk for the Heroes 102222
Angelica Padilla sang the National Anthem
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The official banner of the event
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The American Flag flew high over the event
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The start-finish line
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Mary Cowan, Gold Star Mother, starting her third lap around the campus.
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Rep. Rebecca Down and an unidentified woman get ready to cross the finish line.
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Several participants headed to the finish line
On Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, about 200 people registered to participate in the Walk for the Heroes set up by Jason Quimby, Western New Mexico University veterans affairs officer.
People gathered in the parking lot between the Fine Arts Center Theater and the Juan Chacon Building to hear speakers and to register and prepare for the walk. In addition, folks at several informational tents stood ready to give veterans information. And perhaps the most important table was the food table, where runners and walkers could find something to eat after their exercise.
Two routes had been set up. One circled the WNMU campus, which was about 1 mile, and the second route was a 5K which took off from the same start-finish line but wended its way up onto Boston Hill before returning to the campus.
Grant County Treasurer Patrick Cohn served as emcee.
Among statistics given out, about 9.9 percent of Grant Countians have served in the military, with New Mexico having one of the highest rates of servitude to the military.
Several dignitaries, including NM gubernatorial candidate Mark Ronchetti, Silver City Mayor Ken Ladner, and state Reps. Rebecca Dow and Luis Terrazas were in the audience and/or participated in the walk.
Thirty-three names of veterans being honored by their family members covered the back of the T-shirts that runners and walkers received. Sixty-eight signs with veterans' names marked corners and directions for the walk and run.
Some walkers ran carrying photos of their honored veterans; some walked with an American flag held high; and a few participated with up to 40-pound rucksacks on their backs.
Everyone who completed the walk/run received a Challenge coin
Following the run/walk, performers entertained the gathered folks.