Runners remember Veterans during during 5K through Springdale Cemetery

PEORIA (25News Now) - This Memorial Day weekend, dozens of runners came out to the Springdale Cemetery, to honor our nation’s fallen soldiers with an early morning run.

The Springdale Cemetery Honor and Glory 5K kicked off at 8 Saturday morning.

The run took participants through one of the state’s oldest cemeteries.

Soldiers representing all U.S. wars are buried there, including two Medal of Honor winners.

Organizers and runners want to make sure the soldiers buried there and the sacrifices they made for our freedom are never forgotten.

”We’re doing the St. Jude run this year so we’ve been signing up for 5ks to get in the training for that,” says Alyssa Merlo, one of the participants.

“We’re out here and a 5K may seem like a lot but in comparison to what they did, it’s motivational to run this race and honor them,” says Mae Perkins, who along with her friend Merlo, just graduated high school and is preparing for the St. Jude run.

Proceeds from the race will help preserve and protect service member gravesites.