Are you familiar with the cross-country 'Carry The Load Memorial Day National Relay'? Carry The Load provides an active way for Americans to remember, honor and celebrate military, law enforcement, firefighters, and rescue personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice for us and for the country we love. The 33-day, 6,600-mile National Relay is comprised of a 2,300-mile East Coast route from West Point, NY to Dallas and a 4,300-mile West Coast route from Seattle to Dallas. It concludes with a 20-hour and 16-minute Memorial March in Dallas over Memorial Day weekend. “In the past, Carry The Load has been a life-changing journey for participants as they walk, run or bike along the route,” says Clint Bruce. “It’s a way to connect Americans to the sacrifices of our nation’s heroes.”
Tampa Bay will be represented on Monday, May 29th, 2017 at our local rally. In addition to a 5K Ruck/March down Bayshore Blvd., Tampa organizers have planned a post-march Memorial Rally at Ferg's Live, with an array of activities to raise funds for this year’s nonprofit partners.
This year's Tampa Memorial Day rally activities include static first responder and military equipment on display, a cornhole tournament, live music from Soul Circus Cowboys, and giveaways of autographed Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tampa Bay Lightning memorabilia.
Plan to stop in to shake hands and participate in post-March festivities at Ferg's Live or join the rally, create your own personal page to tell your story. The route leads walkers behind Amalie Arena through Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park, down along the Tampa Riverwalk to Bayshore Blvd, up Bayshore Blvd to the halfway point (Carry The Load volunteers will be available along the route with ice water and cover), where you do an about face, and return along the same route to Ferg’s Live for post march fun!
The Details:'Carry The Load' the National Memorial Day Relay in Tampa
Rally Agenda
- 08:00 – Check-In/Registration
- 08:40 – Opening Remarks, Taps played, Moment of Silence
- 09:00 - March Step-off
- 10:00 – 14:00 Memorial Rally, Live Band, Cornhole Tournament and Prizes
Carry The Load participants walk in support of the organization’s mission to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day and collect donations for this year’s nonprofit partners, which include Adaptive Training Foundation, Assist the Officer Foundation, Attitudes & Attire, Austin Street Center, Building Homes for Heroes, The Center for BrainHealth, Equest Hooves for Heroes, Gratitude Initiative, Heroes on the Water, Higher Ground, Lt. Todd Krodle Foundation, The Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Recovery Resource Council, Snowball Express, Sons of the Flag and The Travis Manion Foundation.
All images courtesy of Carry The Load - Tampa Facebook
“Each leg of the journey is different,” said Clint Bruce, former Navy Seal and co-founder of Carry the Load. “With hundreds of exchange points located in various cities all across the country, Tampa Bay is just one piece of an even greater mission and we appreciate all the local support that the residents of Tampa Bay have shown.”
This Memorial Day in Tampa do something different, join the relay, volunteer or donate. Join the conversation by following Carry The Load on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter @CarryTheLoad, share who you are carrying with the hashtag #CarryTheLoad.
