Carry The Load Relay makes its way through North Dakota

MANDAN, ND (KXNET) — Wednesday, May 15, is known as National Peace Officer’s Memorial Day. If you’ve seen people walking around North Dakota with flags, here’s why. The Carry The Load National Relay was founded by two veteran U.S. Navy SEALS, Clint Bruce and Stephen Holley in 2011. There are five routes that go across the contiguous U.S., four of which start at the beginning of May. The Mountain State Route, which leads through North Dakota, began on Wednesday though. The mission of the relay is to bring back the true meaning to Memorial Day, on which all five routes will end in Dallas. As they walk across 48 states for the next few weeks, they carry the names of those who have sacrificed their lives for others — even if they weren’t soldiers or firefighters. Walkers with Carry The Load say that it’s important to speak the names that have sacrificed their lives to keep their legacy alive. “For Memorial Day, when you’re out there enjoying your barbeques and your family time, we want you to do that, that’s what these people gave up their lives for,” began Rilea Stapf, Media Liaison for Carry The Load. “They want you to spend time with your family and love on them, but please take a minute during that time to just show appreciation for the folks that don’t get to do any of that because their families do hurt, and they mourn. We just like to let them know that we haven’t forgotten about them,” Stapf explained. As they continue along their journey, they encourage anyone and everyone to join them on their walk. Their journey today began in Bismarck, and they walked to the Mandan Fire Department to Station One. Then, their partners went from Station One to Station Two. Firefighters at the Mandan Fire Station say they hold fundraisers like this close to their heart. “For us, whether it’s the week of the Firefighter Memorial where we celebrate and remember the people that passed away in the fire service or it’s National Peace Officer’s Memorial Day, we all work as one family,” began Andy Beck, Firefighter and Training officer at the Mandan Fire Department. “So whether it’s law enforcement or fire, anytime we have those losses they hit pretty hard. To take a moment and to have an organization that supports that is important,” Beck explained. The next stop for Carry The Load will be in South Dakota. Overall, they will walk around 20 thousand miles. If you would like to donate, or join the movement, head to their website.