GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Runners and walkers gathered Saturday at Michigan Veteran Homes in Grand Rapids for the Veterans Day 5, a slate that mixed a five-mile run, a 5-kilometer race and a half-mile remembrance walk or roll, with a fundraising target of $5,000 for the home.
More than $3,000 was already in hand Saturday morning. Ryan Engle, who leads fundraising and long-range community work for the home, said the point is to bring neighbors onto the grounds with the veterans who live there and honor their service. He said the field keeps getting larger each year even with little marketing, because people want to mark Veterans Day alongside the residents.
Race partner Zero Day is turning over every dollar from entries and gifts to the home’s Charitable Support Fund, money used to improve day-to-day life for veterans. myTeam Triumph lined up angels who pushed veterans in chairs along the 5-kilometer course.
The posted race schedule puts the myTEAM TRIUMPH 5K off the line at 9:15 a.m., with the open 5K and the half-mile remembrance walk after that, plus a Meijer pancake breakfast from 9 to 11:30 a.m. for paid entrants or a $5 donation. Finish medals were to be collected at the line. New this year is a Steps for Heroes fundraising challenge for anyone who cannot attend in person, built around registering as a fundraiser and gathering a team. The event page says each registration, volunteer hour and sponsorship helps quality-of-life programs for members living at the Grand Rapids home.
Kent County has a veteran population of approximately 30,000. The VA Grand Rapids clinic and Kent County veterans services office serve that regional community.
Filed under: Ann Arbor MI Neighborhood News