Happy September everyone! I hope your summer was productive and you all took some time to get out and enjoy the weather and each other.
As we move into fall, I wanted to take a minute to reflect on one of our annual events. The Drew Kostic Memorial 5K Tough Run (DK5K) has been, for us, one of the largest events we have ever had. It started in 2016 with an idea to get veterans engaged in the community through volunteering with a tough run, but after the loss of Drew Kostic to suicide, not only did the name change, but so did the purpose of the event. It was always our desire to have veterans helping to give purpose and a mission, but the event turned into an opportunity for us to reach a larger audience with our mission at 22 2 NONE. The first year we saw over 300 participants and that trend continued every year after that.
During the 2024 planning stages, we were informed of the venue property going up for sale. With the uncertainty of the venue's future, we decided this would be the final year for the DK5K. After 8 years, it is a bittersweet feeling that we all share on the planning committee and the board. The core planning committee members have grown close to each other over the years. Monthly planning meetings, countless emails and text messages, phone calls, weeklong setups, event days, then tear downs. The cycle started over in September every year as we looked toward the next year's event.
Well, here we are in September, with no DK5K to plan. But that does not mean we have given up! We have hatched a new event, which we are hoping you will all join us in. Fighting the Fight Within (FFW) will be a cross country run (more details to come). The event date remains the same (second Saturday in August), the mission is still the same, but the venue and the challenge is different.
Thank you all so very much for your support over the last 8 years! Please continue to share the mission that we work so very hard to support. We cannot do any of this without you!
Ray McDaniel, President
