Carry The Load, a charity providing active ways to honor and celebrate our nation’s heroes, started its Midwest route of its national relay in Fargo.

Participants carry the thoughts of the fallen soldiers with them, writing their names on their backs.

They say remembering the names of fallen soldiers helps their memory live on.

“They say you die twice. You have your physical death and then you have the death when people forget your name. So if we’re continuing to put your names on everything and say them and share stories, it’s very impactful, and it kind of just keeps them alive a little bit,” said Jessica Kessel of Carry The Load.

The full route spans the lower 48 states and over 20,000 miles in total, culminating in the Dallas Memorial March over Memorial Day weekend.