QUINCY (WGEM) – Nine men walked and cycled several miles through Quincy, Illinois, Keokuk, Iowa, and Burlington, Iowa on Sunday to raise awareness for those who died serving the country as part of Carry the Load’s annual Memorial month relay.

Since 2011, Carry the Load’s mission has been to bring back the true meaning of Memorial Day. Initially a march in Dallas, TX, the organization grew into something national that goes on for the month of May in all the regions of the U.S. The Midwest relay was added in 2019 and this is Carry the Load’s third time through Quincy.