Volunteer group honoring fallen Hoosiers during half marathon

INDIANAPOLIS — Seven members of an all-volunteer group are operating for extra than simply themselves on Saturday.

Flags 4 Fallen members will carry American flags in reminiscence of Karli Smith, Samaria Blackwell, Matthew Alexander and John Weisert, who died within the 2021 mass capturing at FedEx, Victor Gomez, Rosa Pineda and Pedro Pineda who died within the Greenwood Park Mall mass capturing and Michelle Beavers, who died from an unintended opioid overdose in December 2021.

“After we began in 2015, we have been strictly first responders and army. After which a couple of 12 months in I began to comprehend if we solely did that, then we’re actually not reaching out to a number of households who may not have the good help teams that army, fallen army households can attain out to and so it is simply expanded out from there,” group founder Richard Clark mentioned.

To date, the group has carried 495 flags in 42 states in reminiscence of those that died too quickly. At Saturday’s Christmas in July half marathon, they may surpass 500.

“The one factor I like to inform individuals is it is type of a an fascinating dynamic right here, we’re honoring individuals who handed away, usually too quickly, which is a really somber second, however what we’re actually doing is we’re celebrating their lives,” Clark mentioned. “I am there with the households, and there are tears, however they’re undoubtedly tears of pleasure.”

On the finish of the race, the runners will current the flags to a number of of the households with family members being honored.