Wear Blue Run to Remember

Race tributes and honor events - Wear Blue hosts or participates in community-building events that create opportunities for our service members, veterans, survivors, and their families To gather in a cross- generational, supportive community To honor the fallen, support our military, and empower families of the fallen. These events include veterans day, memorial day, the piestewa challenge (see sch o), and over 10 annual races. Wear Blue race tributes feature the Wear Blue mile, in which a section of the course is lined with volunteers holding american flags honoring fallen service members. Tribute posters are displayed featuring the photograph and name of each service member whose flag is being held.

The gold star race program supports family members who have lost a loved one in military service. The program is a trauma-informed, peer mentorship model that uses wellness, remembrance, & mentorship To support post- traumatic growth. Program culminates with a run-focused endurance challenge (half or full marathon). Monthly peer-mentorship calls teach participants best practices for training, creating a foundation repeatable behaviors of health & wellness. Athletic training is paired with trauma-informed mentorship about the participants' personal journeys through loss, reflections of honored fallen service members, & meaningful connections in shared trauma. Participants receive race entry, airfare & accommodations, equipment, a certified coach & training plan, & support.

Gold star youth mentorship program - a four-month, run-focused community impact program benefitting children of fallen service members. Wear Blue pairs children of fallen military heroes with currently serving members of our armed forces, or recently separated veterans, in a run-focused mentorship. The military mentor provides a connection To the life of service that defined the child's fallen parent, while the mentor-child pair participate in the life affirming act of running. This positive relationship and living memorial promotes continued healing and growth for both the youth and the mentor.

Community runs - the cornerstone To achieving Wear Blue's mission is the community Run, a no-cost Run or walk hosted by Wear Blue volunteers. Each gathering begins with a circle of remembrance, honoring the service and sacrifice of the american military, and is followed by a self-paced Run or walk through the community. It is a place of connection, support, and healthy living for athletes of all abilities.