23-05-2025
Hundreds walk to honor veterans at Greer ‘Carry The Load' event
GREER, S.C. (WSPA) — People walked across the country to pay tribute to fallen military members, first responders and their families on Thursday.
People of all ages met at the North American Rescue (NAR) in Greer to walk a mile in honor of service members and the sacrifice their loved ones made. It's part of the fourth annual Carry The Load Memorial May rally in the Upstate.
'We want to make sure that no veteran ever dies a second death. The first one being when the last breath leaves their body, but we want to make sure that second death, when their name spoken for the last time, never happens and that their legacy lives on generations to come,' said Matt Fryman with Carry The Load. 'We remember that they died for us as strangers because they thought that we were worth it.'
The event brings the community closer together year after year.
'We spend a lot of time on the mission of saving lives on the front end, but there are some that don't make it home,' explained Andy Goldy, the CEO of NAR. 'We can walk with solidarity with folks that have paid that ultimate sacrifice and spend time with our loved ones to make sure they're supported. They're carrying the most burden with us, so we want to be there to support that community.'
As each speaker took the podium, attendees were reminded that Memorial Day is not just a day off of work or a fun time with family, it's a day of remembrance.
'Memorial Day for me as I know it is for all of you is no longer just a day of parades, picnics and fun. It will always have deeper meaning,' said Todd B. McCaffrey, the Secretary for the SC Department of Veterans' Affairs. 'Those men and women literally carried the load for all of us.'
Money raised throughout Memorial May supports military veterans, first responders and families to provide services like counseling, service dogs and more.
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