The university’s ROTC program is hosting the second annual 5K run/walk this year. The event is set to take place Saturday, March 23 at 9:00 a.m. The 5K will serve as a fundraiser in support of the Gary Sinise foundation, an organization that provides several programs, services and events for military veterans who have been wounded during their service.
Half of the proceeds will go to the Gary Sinise Foundation, and the remaining half will go to funding the university’s ROTC program. The money raised for the program will go towards more training opportunities and events.
According to their website, the Gary Sinise Foundation aims to “serve our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need. We do this by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities.”
The foundation was created by “Forrest Gump” and “CSI: NY” actor Gary Sinise, who has been involved in the supporting of military veterans since the 80s and 90s. After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Sinise began to devote most of his time to supporting those who were deployed to Afghanistan as a result, along with supporting New York fire departments to commemorate the 416 first responders who lost their lives.
Examples of Sinise’s support include visits to local New York fire departments, raising money to help build The Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance, visiting troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and performing with his band in Kuwait, Afghanistan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Singapore, Diego Garcia, Guantanamo Bay, Alaska and Puerto Rico to entertain troops and fundraise.
Sinise’s travels and love for the military led him to officially found the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2011. In the foundation’s mission statement, Sinise said, “I believe we can never do enough to express our gratitude and give support to the men and women who willingly go into harm’s way to keep us safe and free, but we can always do a little more. While our programs and projects have certainly made a difference in many lives, there’s much more work to be done.”
There are six registration options, which can all be found on the university’s website. The 5K Free option is completely cost-free, but registrants will not receive a custom T-shirt. The 5K Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum options all include a custom T-shirt and are priced at $10, $25, $50 and $100, respectively. Those registered for the Platinum option will also receive a shoutout on the ROTC’s social media pages. Students of the university can register for free and also receive their custom T-shirt for free.
The location of the event is 2360 E. Mound St. in Bexley.
To find more information about the event or ask questions, contact Jeremy Acheampong at jacheampong@capital.edu. Additional information can also be found on the university ROTC’s Instagram and Facebook pages at @capitalrotc and Capital University Army ROTC, respectively.
