5K to raise money for military care packages

KENDALLVILLE, Ind. (WANE) - The Fourth Annual Hiking for Heroes: His Pack, His Boots, My Hero 5K Fun Run and 1 Mile Hike will be held on Sunday, November 4.

The event will take place at the East Noble High School football stadium in Kendallville.

Registration begins at noon with the opening ceremony beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Admission for the event is one care package item donation or a monetary donation to pay for care package postage. Checks should be made payable to “Indiana Marines Family & Friends”.

“The Hiking for Heroes event is an opportunity to honor those deployed military men and women who are sacrificing for us abroad. A care package keeps these men and women going strong and lets them know that their family, friends and community back home appreciate their service and support them. This is Northeast Indiana’s opportunity to help donate and purchase items for care packages to be sent to our deployed Heroes,” organizer Lisa Wilson said.

Last year’s event  raised enough money to send 130 care packages. This year’s goal is to be able to send out 260 care packages.

Care package items needed by our deployed troops include:

• baby wipes
• toothpaste
• toothbrushes
• nail clippers
• shampoo
• deodorant
• disposable razors
• sunblock
• gum
• Blistex
• Q-tips
• deck of cards
• magazines
• power bars
• beef jerky
• bags of hard candy
• travel size Kleenex
• eye glass wipes
• pop tarts
• black cotton crew socks
• dog treats and toys for the K9 IED dogs

Care packages this year will include letters written by Noble County elementary school students and Monster energy drinks donated by the Wounded Warriors Cruz-In.