RUN AND REMEMBER: HONORING OUR FALLEN MILITARY AT THE MARINE CORPS HISTORIC HALF MARATHON AND SEMPER FRED 5K THIS SUNDAY
Surviving families of our fallen and supporters run to honor loved ones and raise support for TAPS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 18, 2012

FREDERICKBURG, Va.– For a special group of runners tackling the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon this Sunday, May 20, every step is laced with memories and honors those who’ve died in service to America.

Many of the runners are family members, friends, and battle buddies of our fallen military heroes. The funds they raise will help the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), the national organization that has provided comfort and care to more than 30,000 people grieving the deaths of America’s fallen military heroes since 1994.

Among the runners will be:

- Rachel Ascione of Cranford, N.J., will run in memory of her brother, Marine Cpl. Ronald Payne, Jr., who died on May 8, 2004. Ronald was the first Marine killed in combat while serving in Afghanistan.  This is Rachel’s first half marathon.

-Marcus Galloway, 14, of Virginia Beach, Va. will run in memory of his brother-in-law, Army Staff Sgt. David Staats, who died on December 16, 2006 in Iraq.  Marcus is also honoring his two battle buddies, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Steven Daugherty, who was killed in Iraq in July 2007, and Army Staff Sgt. Michael Hosey, who was killed September 17, 2011.

- “Team Chili Dawgs’: Darrell Schultz, Peter Reddy, Ruth Cisneros, and Tiffany Torres  a group of active duty, retired and civilian Marines who live in the Fredericksburg Va. area and work at Quantico, will run the Marine Corps Historic Half to honor the memory of LtCol Benjamin "Chili" Palmer, who was killed in Afghanistan on May 12th, 2011 by a gunman dressed as an Afghan policeman.  Team captain, Darrell Schultz, says they are doing this as a TAPS team to pay tribute to our fallen comrades and with the hope that the funds donated by our family, friends and colleagues will help comfort and support those that have suffered the loss of a loved one.

TAPS is the national organization providing compassionate care to anyone grieving the death of someone who served in the military. Funds raised by the runners will help provide peer-based emotional support, grief and trauma resources, seminars for adults, Good Grief Camps for children, case work assistance, and a 24/7 resource and information helpline. For more information go to www.taps.org or call toll-free 800.959.TAPS.

Anyone can support TAPS and the runners by going to: www.tapsrunandrmember.org/MCHH

These runners are part of the TAPS “Run and Remember” team. The team began 12 years ago with two runners, who ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC in 2000. Today, the team runs races in many locations honoring our fallen military service members and raising support for TAPS. You can learn more at www.taps.org.

Media contact for TAPS: Ami Neiberger-Miller, 202.588.8277, ami@taps.org

More information about the race is available at: http://www.marinemarathon.com/Historic_Half.htm

###