Lafayette’s AFJROTC program will be hosting the first annual Rockwood Hero 5K and 1 Mile walk tomorrow at Lafayette in honor of Rockwood graduates who lost their lives while serving our country. Proceeds will be distributed to each high school to support academic achievement programs.

The event began in 2011 as a barbecue recognizing Lafayette graduate and Army Specialist Peter Navarro, who died in Iraq in 2005. Subsequent barbecues have occurred annually since 2011 and have incorporated more fallen veterans each year.

In 2012, the event broadened the number of honorees by incorporating more Rockwood graduates who have died for our country including: Marine Corporal Riley Baker, Army SGT Edward Forrest Jr., Army Specialist Zach Fisher and Army Specialist Paul Varner. The event has grown to also honor First Responders of the community.

Following the 2015 race, there will be an award ceremony and free barbecue for those who register with the sponsor, Fleet Feet Sports.

In previous years participation has been strong and this year Colonel Mike Berenc from the Lafayette AFJROTC program would love to have 500-1000 people, Berenc said.

“It supports quality education in Rockwood and very simply, honors the sacrifice of men and women who serve our Nation either in the armed forces or through the first responders,” Berenc said.
Devonte Brown, Lafayette senior, is helping host the run due to the annual Senior Class legacy project, and his role in advertising by reaching out to the community to spread the word.

“Traditionally for the past for years [the legacy project] has consisted of a barbecue but this year the senior class decided to do something bigger and better, and that was the Rockwood Hero 5K Run,” Brown said.
Brown worked the event last year, but has different expectations for the 2015 event.
“My expectation is to hopefully get a bigger group of people than the previous year and also enact our goal which is to bring the Rockwood community together,” Brown said.

Senior Master Sergeant Gary Wamble from the MHS AFJROTC program, has been involved with the event every year.

He said the program had to gather volunteers and compile a list of runners.
The event coordinators needed volunteers to help out with the race, barbecue and registration, Wamble said. More importantly, the event needed about a hundred runners from MHS to actually run in the event.

“Each of the high schools has somebody who has gone into the military and been killed in action, this is a way to honor the heroes from the district,” Wamble said.