Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Riley Stephens
In case the previously announced Oct. 1 Ruck Forward event slipped your mind — it’s not too late to participate.
Ruck Forward (www.ruckforward.com) — a 22K and 5K ruck/walk through Granbury, set for Saturday, Oct. 1 — once again honoring the memory of Army Green Beret and Sgt. 1st Class Riley Stephens. He was killed in action by small-arms gunfire during a battle on Sept. 28, 2012, in Wardak Province, Afghanistan.
In 2013, the inaugural Riley Run was held to honor the memory of Stephens, who was a special forces medic. The Riley Run continued as an annual event for five years. In 2017, a ruck event was also added to the schedule, also in honor of Riley’s 19-plus years of military service. The event was not held last year.
The entry fee to either walk or run in the event is $30 per person, and registration will be open until the step-off start. The fee includes an event T-shirt, although availability of the T-shirts is not guaranteed after Sept. 15. Ninety percent of the funds raised will go toward the Hood County Fallen Veterans Memorial, and 10 percent of the funds raised will go toward the Riley Stephens Memorial VFW Post 7835 Auxiliary.
For active first responders from law enforcement agencies and fire departments, there is no entry fee.
The event will also bring attention to the average of 22 military veterans nationwide who are lost each day to suicide.
The event is being held in cooperation with the local Riley Stephens Memorial VFW Post 7835 Auxiliary (3670 W. U.S. Highway 377 in Granbury).
Rucking, according to the website goruck.com, is “the action of walking with weight on your back. Walking with a weighted rucksack (backpack) is a low-impact exercise based on military training workouts.”
The event will be family friendly, even welcoming all youth groups — plus moms with strollers and people with wagons to participate. Three different chapters of motorcycle groups have committed to participating in the event. Hood County resident John Taber will be on hand, playing his bagpipes.
According to organizers, “The course will weave through the town of Granbury and then back to the VFW for the finish. The 5K will start at the Jim Burks Firefighters Memorial at 10:30 a.m., where you can meet up with the 22K to complete the last 5 kilometers together. Shuttles will be provided for those who want to park at the VFW where we will finish. There will also be emergency personnel available and water stations along the way.”
After finishing the run/walk at the Riley Stephens VFW Post 7835 (at 3670 W. U.S. Highway 377 in Granbury), a hot dog meal with chips and either Gatorade or water will be given to the participants. The meal cost is included in the entry fee, along with an event T-shirt.
Another attraction will be door prizes, including a wooden rustic flag wall-hanging, and a patriotic quilt gift basket made by a local church. Also, there will a cigar gift box contributed by a local business.
