In honor of those who died on 9/11, Key Club will host a Warrior Run in the back soccer fields on Sept. 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Participants can register online before the event or at the gate for $10 for adults and $5 for children. Profits from the event will go directly to Wounded Warrior Project. The star of the show, a 2.3 mile run/walk represents the length of the combined Twin Tower stairs. 

“The inspiration for the run, is my sister in the military. Every year, she does a POW run (Prisoners of War) and she also does the stairs, which is a pretty common remembrance for 9/11,” Ms. Abbigayle Marion, Key Club sponsor said. “I tried to combine the two. If you laid the stairs of the Twin Towers end to end, what would the distance be? That’s what participants will be running or walking.” 

Organizers designed The Wounded Warrior Project to help wounded, ill, and/or injured service members transition back to duty or civilian life. To make sure everyone is safe and accommodated at the event, a quarter-mile track will include for children and those with special needs. The distance is up to them on how much they want to run.

“I know if we’re going to donate the things like Wounded Warrior, we need to make sure we are actually an accessible activity and we just wanted to make sure we’re prioritizing that,” Ms. Marion said.

Other activities include a sit-up contest, face painting, Kona Ice and firetrucks from the Mansfield Fire Department. 20% of the Kona Ice profits will go to Key Club, with the remainder going to the Wounded Warrior Project. Winners of the races or competitions receive a free Kona Ice snowcone, courtesy of Key Club.

“We knew that teenagers are awesome and y’all show up to things and bring excellent energy, but we wanted to go beyond that,” Ms. Marion said. “Since we are a community service organization, we wanted to reach beyond our school community and reach out to the city of Mansfield.”

Key Club worked with StuCo, JROTC and NHS to make sure this event was successful. Their main goal is engagement and remembrance.

“I think sometimes we kind of get lost in the shuffle, especially this time in the school year, so just taking that extra time to be grateful and remember what the day is all about,” Ms. Marion said. “I want to see community engagement, I think that’s something we’ve been lacking post-COVID. So not just coming out to Legacy events but actually engaging in [kids] is important.”

In an effort to include first responders, Key Club officers went to police departments and fire stations for personal invitations. Officers used connections with City Hall to reach out to Mansfield veteran groups and first responders. The event was advertised on the club’s Instagram account, and the weekly newsletter, Broncos in the Know. Key Club President, Abigail Castro, sent over 100 emails, coordinating with community members and feeder schools to publicize the event. 

“We want to ensure that Key Club is a more well-known club for its events and service. We believe that this event has the potential to connect our school to our community, which is a major part of Key Club’s purpose,” Castro said. “This really resonated with our goal of recognizing the efforts made by first responders, especially on 9/11.”

The Warrior Run honors first responders and veterans while supporting the Wounded Warrior Project. Participants are welcome and encouraged to come in red, white and blue to show their support.

“We have a lot of athletes, we have theater kids, we have choir and band kids all in Key Club so I think it’s important for younger groups to see some of the people they may idolize when they come to the games or go to events,” Ms Marion said. “Just taking a day to serve them but also remember why everyone is there–to honor our first responders and those we lost. Hopefully, it makes everyone feel good.”