SAN ANTONIO — First responders sacrifice a lot in the name of public safety, and they sometimes pay the ultimate price.
So far this year, Texas has experienced more law enforcement deaths than any other state. It accounts for nearly a quarter of officer fatalities in the United States, according to a report by Officer Down Memorial.
Fatalities among firefighters are also above the national average, according to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI).
In Bexar County, those who died in the line of duty were honored Saturday morning. The 100 Club of San Antonio hosted the 20th annual Run to Remember at Comanche Park.
"I know four people who were killed on the job," Manuel Donias said. “One of them was John Wheeler. He was a patrol officer. In 2003, he was shot in the line of duty. He wasn’t expecting to survive, but he survived. Then in 2005, unfortunately, he was killed by a drunk driver while he was working traffic enforcement.”
There have been 102 first responders who have sacrificed their lives in San Antonio over the past 50 years.
"It’s the community’s responsibility to remember our fallen and to care for our first responders,” said Richard Miller, the president and CEO of 100ClubSA. “We have had eight suicides in the last 20 months.”
An empty chair was placed next to the finish line to symbolize those who never made it home to their families.
“For our fallen, we want to save a place for them,” Miller said. “We want to keep their life and service to us in our memory. But the families of our fallen heroes have also made a sacrifice. Our core mission has been to serve the children and families of fallen first responders. We have provided immediate financial help and millions of dollars in higher education scholarships.”
More than $5,000 was raised from Saturday’s Run to Remember.
If you would like to help 100ClubSA serve first responders and their families, click HERE.