SAN ANTONIO — Two thousand San Antonians waved flags and finished the Wounded Warrior Project Carry Forward 5K together, all to support the Wounded Warrior project. It's devoted to helping service members or veterans with physical or mental illness, injuries or wounds while serving on or after Sept. 11, 2001.
One of those wounded warriors, Sal Gonzalez, served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2003 to 2006.
"I was blown up on October 31 of 2004, for the seventh time, and when I woke up I was in the United States surrounded by my family," Gonzalez said. "About a day later, one of the people from Wounded Warrior Project came to my door and said, 'On behalf of a grateful nation, we'd like you to have this backpack,' and they've been in my life ever since."
WWP started with those backpacks, filled with clothes and comfort items to help during an injured service member's hospital stay. But it's grown to provide even more, including support with medical care, resources for finding a job and staying in shape. Injuries can make finding a new fitness routine difficult, and WWP sets people up with experts to help them learn what works best for them now.
Fitness is a focus at Carry Forward 5Ks as well, where participants carry flags, weights or even another person.
"San Antonio—it's our first year here (and) we're so excited," Amanda Garcia said. "We had close to 2,000 participants, which is huge for a first-time event. We know this is a military town and our big sponsor USAA is here, so it just made sense to be here."
You can still donate to San Antonio's fundraiser by clicking here.