WATERMELON RUN FOR THE FALLEN HAPPENING SATURDAY IN HEMPSTEAD
The City of Hempstead will be honoring the men and women of the United States military that have lost their lives in combat with the annual “Watermelon Run for the Fallen.”
This year’s “Watermelon Run for the Fallen” will be held tomorrow (Saturday) morning. Participants for the 5K run are asked to arrive at the Hempstead ISD Football Stadium by 6:30am. Entertainment before the run will be provided by Ziggy Moonshine and the Bootleggers.
The VFW Color Guard will handle the flag presentation, while 1st Sgt. Tommy Bell will sing the National Anthem. Master Sgt. Tolliver Hill is going to present the “Missing Man” Table with a flag retirement.
The 5K run is scheduled to start around 7:20am and finish in downtown Hempstead at the Hartley Memorial Gazebo and Hartley Memorial on 11th Street.
Hempstead Police Chief David Hartley and his wife started the local run in 2010 in memory of their son, Staff Sergeant Jeffrey Lee Hartley.
Staff Sgt. Hartley joined the army in 2001. Hartley was deployed five times, four to Iraq, and once to Afghanistan. He received eight Army commendation medals, one with valor, and two Bronze Stars, one with valor. Hartley was killed in Iraq on April 8, 2008.
At the Gazebo, there will be patriotic music by Darby Ledbetter and the Band of Brothers.
Per Governor Greg Abbott, the flags are scheduled to be lowered to half staff at 10am, followed by words from Hempstead Mayor Erica Gillum.
The Watermelon Run for the Fallen Vice President Tony Fourroux will have the roll call, and then the flags will be returned to full staff.
Shuttle buses are going to be available to take people from the Stadium to the Gazebo and back again.