500 FOR THE FALLEN
May 10, 2016
Run with Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation and make a scene this Memorial Day weekend. Fallen Patriots invites followers to carry a flag during 500 For The Fallen, a 500-mile continuous relay leaving from Concord, MA on May 26th and arriving at Arlington Cemetery on May 30th. The purpose of the patriotic run is to raise awareness for children who have lost a parent while serving in the military. Each stage of the relay ranges from 3-11 miles.
Each year, 500 For The Fallen honors a fallen patriot by carrying a dog tag with their name engraved on it, from Concord, MA to Arlington, VA. This year, Sgt. Garett Mongrella will be honored. In 1991, Sgt. Mongrella and 10 fellow Marines were killed in the Battle of Khafji, attempting to reclaim the Saudi Arabian town from Iraqi troops. He left behind his young wife, Kim, and an 18-month-old son, Anthony.
In 2013, Anthony Mongrella graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor's in Psychology. He paid his own way through school, taking on student loan debt in the process. Recently though, Eric Greer, a 500 For the Fallen runner and a Gulf War Veteran himself, tracked down Anthony and helped to connect him with Fallen Patriots. Fallen Patriots is now working with Anthony to take care of the student loans he amassed while in college.
Help make the dreams of a college education for scholars, like Anthony, become a reality by participating in 500 For the Fallen. To sign up for a stage of the relay, visit here.