'They're still with us:' Local nonprofit holds 'Remembrance Walk' to honor fallen soldiers

BOALSBURG, Pa (WJAC) — Remembering fallen soldiers. That was the message at Saturday’s “Walk to Remember” 5K in Boalsburg.

The second annual “Walk to Remember” at the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg was hosted by the nonprofit “A Soldiers Hands.”

The founder of the organization, Trish Shallenberger, says that there was a lack of events like the walk in Centre County. She says they want residents to have the chance to honor those that they love.

“We die twice, one is our actual death, and one is when we stop saying their names, so when we say their names, we write their names down, it keeps their memory alive, and that’s why we do it.”

Shallenberger says that last year’s inaugural walk was dedicated to Specialist Chad Edmundson, who died while serving as a member of the National Guard in Iraq fifteen years ago.

His family returned to Boalsburg this year and say this is something they now look forward to every year.

“It’s great to be able to talk to those that are here, they have a reason to be here in honor of something, in honor of someone who has served, whether it’s a father, or a brother, or a son or whatever the case might be, but to be able to share with each other, and to be able to be there for each other,” says Roy Edmundson.

This year’s guest speaker was retired Army Sgt. Adam Hartswick, who grew up in State College.

Hartswick says he served as a combat medic and lost both of his legs in 2013 while in Afghanistan. He says he lost four of his brothers that day and wants to continue to honor them and share their stories.

“It reminds me that their sacrifice was for these people, and it was for our great country and our great community, and it reminds me that as long as you keep saying their names, they’re still with us.”

Officials from the Pennsylvania Military Museum say that as long as ‘Soldier's Hands’ wants to host the walk, they can do it at the museum at no cost.

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