Memorial Day

DALLAS — When he left the Air Force after eight years of flying a C-17 through the dangerous skies of places like Afghanistan, Nate Cavender still wanted to find a way to serve his country.

"We got a call that we needed to divert into Kandahar to pick up a guy who was critically-wounded," he recalled of one mission in 2011.

"But that night when I was laying my head down, I realized I didn't even ask what his name was," Cavender told WFAA. "And it stuck with me because, to this day, I don't know who he is, where he is, how he's doing. And I'd love to reach out to him to thank him for the sacrifices he made for us."

Now, as an ambassador for Carry the Load, Cavender tells those stories and more as he speaks to community groups and private company functions to help raise awareness and funds for the Carry the Load mission: reminding us all of the sacrifices we should honor each and every Memorial Day.

Read and watch the full story HERE.

D Magazine shared Carry The Load's Memorial Day weekend events in an article on ways to celebrate the holiday.

You can find the full article HERE.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Together they are traveling thousands of miles across the country honoring men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

At each stop they quote, “carry the load” of a fallen first responder or service member from that city. They taped the names of the fallen to their ruck packs. While in Louisville Tom Wendling, a retired firefighter from Dallas, carries the name of fallen Louisville firefighter Sean McAdam who passed away on May 11.

“This is a small penance for my little bit of responsibility and my honor to be able to carry for him…. It’s a brotherhood and sisterhood. If I couldn’t do this for them, that would be a shame,” Wendling says. Other members of “Carry the Load,” are currently traveling the east coast and American west.

Read and watch the full story HERE.

Carry The Load was included in a list of ways to celebrate Memorial Day published by the Dallas Observer.

You can find the full article HERE.

WICHITA, Kan (KSNW) – For more than a decade, Carry the Load has had one mission: to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day.

“I can tell you the stories, it’s tough. Every so far, we’ve stopped at three veteran cemeteries and talk to those mothers who had to bury their children. It’s humbling, the fact, that they’ve given the ultimate sacrifice,” Tom Wendling said.

Read and watch the full story HERE.

Thirty-two days, 48 states and 20,000 miles make up Carry the Load’s 10th annual relay, which made three stops in Wichita on Friday.

Carry the Load team member Jeremiah Kincaid said that as a veteran, he understands even more the importance of Memorial Day.

“One thing I tend to bring up is, you know, hearing ‘thank you’ on Memorial Day,” Kincaid said. “It’s a little different than any other day because it’s not, you know, it’s not for me, I’m not the one who should be thanked … I mean, somebody that I served with did die, so that’s something that I’m carrying. I have family members that I’m carrying.”

Read the full story HERE.

WFAA featured an interview with Carry the Load Co-founder Stephen Holley which covers the mission and details of Carry the Load's Memorial Day march in Dallas. The interview also highlights the fact that this is GMC's 10th anniversary of involvement in the event

Watch the full interview HERE.

Carry The Load was mentioned in an article by NBC's Today Show. It talks about ways Americans can get involved in observing memorial day this year.

Read the full article HERE.

Carry The Load, a nonprofit that provides active ways to connect Americans to the sacrifices of our nation’s military, veterans, first responders and their families, will host its 11th Annual Dallas Memorial March on Memorial Day weekend at Reverchon Park in Dallas. The event starts on Sunday, May 29 at noon and continues through the night until Monday, May 30 at 1:30 p.m.

“If you and your family come and experience the Dallas Memorial March, it will change the way you do Memorial Day forever,” said Stephen Holley,
co-founder, president and CEO of Carry The Load. “Being in that environment, walking side-by-side, sharing stories and teaching our youth about service and sacrifice demonstrates beyond words that people do care.”

Read the full story HERE.

Carry The Load was featured on WFAA as the story was shared the organization's impact one female woman's story.

Watch the full story HERE.