Carry Forward 5K Hits Home for California Supporter
It’s a little more than 200 miles from Ridgecrest, California to San Diego. But that distance didn’t matter for Rebekah Howard; she drove nearly four hours Friday night, participated in the Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) Carry Forward® 5K, delivered by CSX® Saturday morning, and drove back that afternoon of Aug. 24, 2019.
Serving in the military or supporting it is just what you do in the Howard household. Her great-grandfather served. So did her grandfather. So did her uncles. So did her dad, both in the Air Force and Navy.
So when it came time to register for Carry Forward this year, there was no hesitation.
“I signed up the first day that I could,” Rebekah said.
The event, which supports injured veterans and allows participants to complete a 5K, shifted to a virtual setting this year after the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellations of in-person events in San Diego; Nashville; San Antonio; and Jacksonville, Florida.
But Rebekah said that shouldn’t stop anyone from participating.
“It will impact not only the warriors themselves, but also their families,” Rebekah said.
Rebekah, a long-time supporter of WWP, has witnessed that impact firsthand. She remembers seeing an injured veteran and his family at Disneyland®, and a WWP logo was on the back of his wheelchair. She explained to her nephew that through her support, she was able to help that warrior receive his wheelchair.
“My nephew thought that was so cool,” Rebekah recalled. “He was like, ‘You did that!’ And I was like ‘Yes!’ I feel like that.”
It’s clear evidence of a supporter’s heart that will once again be on display when she completes her virtual Carry Forward 5K.
“It’s just something so simple that I can do,” Rebekah said. “If you had an opportunity to make a big impact by doing something so simple, why wouldn’t you?”
Here’s your chance to join Rebekah in supporting injured veterans: register your virtual Carry Forward 5K and complete it whenever and wherever is easiest for you.
Contact: Chris Obarski — Public Relations, cobarski@woundedwarriorproject.org, 904.570.0823.
**Watch Rebekah's story**
About Wounded Warrior Project
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more.