Valor Run honors the U.S. military women who have served our nation since 9/11, huge run taking place March 26 in Virginia Beach

InterviewByYiorgo

Something very honorable will be taking place March 26 at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, Virginia It is the annual ValorRun,organizedbyValorRun,Inc.and they want everyone to know that the run itselfisopenforeveryonetoparticipatein.

Valor Run Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization founded right here in our Hampton Roads area in Chesapeake, Virginia to be exact in 2014 by Admiral NancyLacorewhohas30yearsserviceinthe Navy Theirmissionis: TounitecommunitiesthroughrunningeventstohonortheU.S. militarywomenwhohaveservedournation since 9/11 especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice while supporting combat operationsinIraqandAfghanistan.

Forthe2023ValorRunregistrationform, scholarship form and so much more, go to https://www.valorrun.org/

Yiorgo: To tell us more about it, with us today is Missy Cotter Smasal, Executive Director and Race Director of Valor Run.

Missy thank you and your family for your service to our country Please tell us more aboutValorRun.

Missy Cotter Smasal: It’s an honor, thank you for your support. Valor Run is a local non-profit, honoring the memory of the women who died in service, post 9/11, aswellashonoringallservicemembers We haveapictureinourmindofwhataveteran is, an older gentleman with a baseball cap on, and Valor Run wants to make sure that when people think of veterans, they think of women who have served too On our website at https://www.valorrun.org/ you can see the faces of the 177 women that we honor Also on social media, we recognise the anniversary of their deaths as well as during Women’s History Month, Veterans Day, Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day. It’s importantthateveryoneseestheirfaces,the diversity of the people who served in terms ofage,raceanddifferentpartsofthecountry thattheycomefrom

Y: Can you tell us about how Valor Run wasstarted?

MCS: Valor Run was started by Admiral Nancy Lacore, who currently serves in the Navy Afterdoingheroverseastoursduring Operation Freedom, Nancy felt compelled to do something and bring attention to the women who were serving in Afghanistan and Iran and she wanted to help everyone rememberthewomenwhodiedwhileserving Thereforein2014,shedecidedthatshe was going to run a mile for each of those women At the time the count was 160 and she ran 160 miles, starting on October 12th

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