Come out to support 2012 Travis Manion 9/11 Heroes Run in Doylestown

When groups and individuals are doing the "right thing," everyone can be supportive of the efforts.

In 2008, when a couple of runners close to the late Travis Manion decided to kick off a foot race in support of the foundation that Travis’s life had inspired, Fred Beans Automotive Group was pleased to step up as a founding sponsor. That partnership continues, through five races including the upcoming run in a few weeks.

On Sunday, September 9, the 5th Annual Travis Manion 9/11 Heroes Run will bring runners from around the region to Doylestown to participate in a 5K race through the borough. Race organizers expect as many as 3,000 runners. Last year’s nearly three dozen races worldwide, held on the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, attracted scores of corporate sponsors – including Chevrolet. Here in Doylestown, 1500 runners registered and hundreds of family members, friends, volunteers and people from the community cheered them on.

The Travis Manion Foundation was established by Janet and Tom Manion to honor the spirit of their son, Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion, who was killed by sniper fire in Iraq in 2007. The foundation’s goal is to honor the fallen by challenging the living, which it does through several programs and initiatives that help wounded and disabled soldiers and the families of the fallen.

Doylestown race participants can pre-register online and pick up their pre-registration packets at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School gymnasium on Friday, September 7, 5pm-8pm, or Saturday, September 8, 10am-2pm. The day of the race, registration is 10am-12pm at the staging area at Fonthill Park. Enter the park via the Route 313/Swamp Road entrance to the Moravian Tile Works. The start and finish line for the 5K is at Belmont Court and East Court Street near the tree-lined walkers entrance to Fonthill.

Registration fees are $10 for kids 13 and under, $15 for the Fun Run and $25 for the 5K Run. A family of four can register for $60: the group must include at least one adult and all children must be under 18.

Half of the proceeds from Doylestown’s race go directly to the Gary Sinise Foundation to construct a Smart Home for local wounded soldier PFC Adam Keys.

Race Day Schedule

10-12:00          Race Day registration
1:00                 Opening Ceremony
1:45                 Fun Run starts
2:00                 5K Run starts
3-4:00              Prizes & music

The Beans organization is proud of its involvement in this growing annual event that raises funds for the Travis Manion Foundation and honors those men and women who have given their lives and the families whose lives have been forever changed.

The Manion foundation provides Challenge Grants to survivors of fallen American heroes – parents, children, siblings, spouses and battle buddies – to help them accomplish a goal while honoring the memory of the fallen service member and supporting their loved ones in the healing process. It provides Mission Continues Fellowships to wounded and disabled vets to support their recovery and their work in a service field or effort. And it further pairs those vets serving the fellowships with families of fallen heroes, helping them to keep alive the spirit of service while they support each other in the healing process. It also challenges young people to develop stronger, more advantageous value systems through its various programs.

NOTE:
Janet Manion passed away April 24, 2012, after a valiant battle with lung cancer. Determined to carry on the legacy Janet built as the organization’s founder, chair and visionary, the Manion foundation has established The Janet L. Manion Memorial Fund to honor her life and her commitment to serving the military community. Each year, the Janet L. Manion Memorial Challenge Grant will provide an opportunity for an inspiring woman to follow in Janet’s footsteps and carry out her own personal service mission.

The First Annual Janet L. Manion Memorial Event is scheduled to take place Tuesday, September 11, from 6:30 to 9:00pm at the Michener Museum Edgar N. Putman Pavilion. In addition to raising money for the Janet L. Manion Memorial Fund and Challenge Grant, the event will celebrate the close of this year’s 9/11 Heroes Run race series, Janet’s tribute to the many heroes of September 11th.