Trail of remembrance

Frontiersman reporter

BIG LAKE -- A group of Valley residents hit the pavement near Big Lake on May 15, Armed Forces Day, to the appreciative horn honks of drivers passing by on the Parks Highway. The men, women and children biked, ran and walked during Mid-Valley High School's first Trail of Remembrance, an event commemorating veterans and active service military personnel in the Valley.

Signs placed along the course, which ran from the Big Lake NAPA Auto Parts store to the B&J Rainbow Center, bore the names of those personnel, allowing participants to move through the area's military history as they moved across the ground.

The weather cooperated with the walkers' plans. About 70 people turned out to walk in pleasant temperatures and mild sunlight. Volunteers from Mid-Valley High, wearing bright orange vests with the double yellow stripe trademark of the race volunteer, were stationed along the way to provide refreshments and verbal support for the participants. Other volunteers watched the many cross-streets leading up to the Parks Highway, to make sure participants remained safe.

Brenda Hall, who helped organize the event, said it had been conceived as a way to get some Mid-Valley High students a missing physical education credit, but it soon ballooned into a larger, Valleywide event.

Participants pre-registering for the event a week in advance were asked to name a veteran or active service member close to their hearts. These names were then printed on signs placed along the 3.4-mile course so all of the participants passed by the names on their way to the finish.

Volunteer emergency medical specialists from Big Lake Fire and EMS were on hand to take care of any possible medical problems that might happen along the way, but to all appearances the walkers, runners and bikers were in good shape for the event.

According to Hall, about 50 signs were sold this year. After the event was over, the signs were taken down and preserved for next year, when newly registered names will be added to the pool. Therefore, as years go by and the walk continues to grow, the amount of signs placed along its length will likewise grow.

And grow it will, said Hall, who anticipates more signs and a larger turnout next year.

"Word will get out, and we'll learn from what we could've done better this year," she said. "We got kind of a late start this year, but you have to start somewhere."

The event was divided into a group of bikers, a group of runners and a group of walkers, each released at intervals starting at 9:30 a.m. Winners in each of the three categories received trophies and plaques.

Half of the proceeds of the sign sales went to Mid-Valley High, and half went to a local veterans' service group.

The walkers who came out Saturday morning marched in memory of a truly great variety of military personnel. A young lady walked in honor of Edwin, her great-grandfather, who served in World War II, while another woman said she was remembering her son, who has spent 11 years in the Navy, and her son-in-law, who also fought in World War II. Another woman voiced her memories of both Richard Weingard, a Vietnam veteran, and Paul Padie, a veteran of the Korean War who passed away a year ago last month. Padie was the recipient of multiple military commendations, including the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart. A woman walking with a tiny, fluffy dog remembered her nephew, who she said has been in Iraq for six months, and Bill Plate, a World War II veteran, while another man sent his thoughts out to all of the Valley's emergency services personnel currently serving in Iraq.

"This is a good, positive thing for our school," Hall said, "but it's good for everyone else, too. We got the community and the local businesses involved, but, most importantly, the kids."

Contact Daniel Spoth at daniel.spoth@frontiersman.com.