When junior John Mark Fraga suggested hosting a 5K race in support of local veterans, he did not do it for praise, recognition, or even a good grade in his Student Council class. He did it as an act of serving his country.
“One of the things in Southlake that we don’t have a lot of, outside of school, is stuff for Veterans Day and Memorial Day, or ways we can really give back,” Fraga said.
Student Council adviser Lindsey Jacobson was all for it. A couple permits, a Verizon sponsorship, and a team-up with Southlake First Responders later, they had a plan.
The inaugural “Carry Forward, Feed it Forward” race will take place at North Park from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday. Proceeds from the race and non-perishable food items, which can be dropped-off outside the front office of CSHS or at the event, will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project and local food banks. Organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project aim to alleviate the transition into everyday life for members of active service.
“When you’ve had a high risk job, and you’ve done a lot for your country, and you feel proud of it, but then you come home and nobody cares because everybody is doing their own life, and everybody is going about their own business–that affects these guys,” Carroll golf coach and 82nd Airborne veteran Timothy Gaestel said.
After injuring his back while deployed in Iraq, Gaestel felt as if his life lacked purpose; his injury prevented him from achieving his previous goal of playing collegiate football. He’s not alone. According to the 2022 Annual Warrior Survey, four out of five veterans reported feeling socially isolated, and over one in four reported suicidal thoughts in the past year.
“If you don’t have a mission, if you don’t have something you’re doing, then it’s going to affect you,” Gaestel said.
He began to channel his energy into a different hobby, golf, and credits it for saving his life.
“There’s a lot of bad stuff that happened in Iraq that I don’t want to think about, but I don’t think about anymore because all I’m obsessed with is this little white gold ball and seeing if it can get into the cup in as fewest shots as possible,” Gaestel said.
The Wounded Warrior project aspires to help veterans find their purpose through peer support groups, recreational events, and more, as well as organizing networking events and career guidance for those who have found what they want to do with their lives.
“I happened to play in a [veteran’s] golf tournament where one of the guys in the tournament happened to be friends with our principal,” Gaestel said. “That’s how I got to know our principal and got this job.”
The event will feature speeches from veterans, a best-dressed contest, food trucks, and more, and students will receive five X2Vol volunteer hours for attending.
“I really feel like this is a very approachable event, and we just want people supporting the cause–whether they choose to walk, run, or donate,” Jacobson said.
While donations are encouraged, Fraga’s main intent for the event is to show veterans that they still matter by creating support within the Southlake community.
“Just getting people to appreciate our veterans and everything that they give us is really the most important thing,” Fraga said.
Fraga has found his purpose in rallying encouragement for veterans.
“They’ve just given so much of their life to us; they’ve sacrificed everything—their bodies, their families, themselves to our country and our freedom,” Fraga said. “Giving back as much as we can to them–I feel a lot of purpose in that.”
Community members can register or donate by clicking here or at the race site on the morning of the event.
