JUPITER, FLORIDA – Community members honor wounded veterans in 11th annual 5K race.

Memorial Day Weekend for most probably means nothing more than barbecues, time at the lake or beach, and an extra day off from work or school. In reality though, this day is meant to be something far more special. It is a day of remembrance – a day of memory – for all those who have lost their lives in the armed forces in the service of our country. The sacrifices of these brave men and women are what have purchased and protected our freedoms here in the United State for over two centuries now. These dedicated souls truly demonstrate the truth of Christ’s words when He said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 BSB).

It is a sacred responsibility to remember those who have given their lives for us, but what about those who have not died but have still paid a heavy price for our country. Statistics of wounded and traumatized soldiers are staggering, yet in so many ways these heroes often go without help. That is where the Wounded Veterans Relief Fund steps in. Their mission statement is, “To provide emergency financial assistance and professional services to qualified, disabled Florida veterans in order to save lives and keep families together.”

The WVRF raises funds for a variety of services for those wounded veterans residing in Florida, including dental care, housing, and other financial assistance. One particular fundraising effort that has become quite popular is their annual Run for Heroes 5K.  This year was the 11th annual race. It took place in Riverbend Park on Saturday, May 24. The race had an amazing turnout with 378 finishing the race. Matthew Ward, 16, of Palm Beach Gardens, took first place with a chip time of 18:27.06. He was followed less than 30-seconds later by John Reback, 55, of Jupiter, in second place with a chip time of 18:56.51. The race was well represented by veterans, activity duty service men and women, and civilians alike.

One of the main highlights of the event – beyond the race itself, of course – was hearing all the stories from veterans and those impacted by veterans. It was truly an inspiring morning and a great way to kick off Memorial Day Weekend.

Though our wounded veterans are still with us, they exemplify another important quality praised in Scripture. Psalm 15:4 says the righteous “…swears to his own hurt and does not change…” (ESV). In the same way, our service men and women swear to protect our country no matter the cost – be that living with physical and mental wounds for the rest of their lives or even giving up life itself. We owe a great deal to these heroes, and the very least we can do is remember them each Memorial Day.

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References

• “Wounded Veterans Relief Fund Running for Heroes 5K.” RunSignup, 24 May 2025, https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/Jupiter/RunningforHeroes5K.
• Wounded Veterans Relief Fund. Wounded Veterans Relief Fund, 2025, https://wvrf.org/.
• Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is a project of Bible Hub. Used with permission. The Berean Standard Bible has been released into the public domain.
• Additional scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001, 2011 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.