Carry The Load Relay coming to town

TEXARKANA, Texas — On Thursday, Carry The Load will be walking through Texarkana as a part of its 15,500-mile national relay to honor and remember fallen military and first responders.

The East Coast Relay, which started in

West Point, New York, on May 3 and is to finish in Dallas on May 30, will have destinations in Hope, Ark., both sides of Texarkana and Redwater, Texas, on Thursday.

This is the 10th annual Carry The Load Relay, after holding a virtual version of the event last year due to COVID, as the group

looks to cover all 50 states with its West Coast and East Coast relays.

Media Coordinator Heyli Lopez said the event is part of the nonprofit organization’s overall mission to carry on the memory of fallen veterans and first responders.

“It’s to try and restore the meaning of Memorial Day,” Lopez said. “This event is for honoring the sacrifices our veterans and first responders have made by carrying on the memory of the fallen.”

She said many carry flags or other tokens of respect to symbolize their efforts to remember those who have made sacrifices to the United States. At some locations, they will also bike.

The departure times and locations for cities on Thursday are as follows:

■ Hope Fire Department at 8 a.m. (bike) — 308 E 2nd St.

■ U.S. Highway 67 in Texarkana, Arkansas, at 11 a.m. — U.S Highway 67 and State Highway 108.

■ Texarkana Human Resources Department in Texarkana, Arkansas, at 1 p.m. — 3809 Airport Plaza Drive.

■ Southwest Center City in Texarkana, Texas, at 4 p.m. — 3222 W. 7th St.

■ Ot’s Landing in Texarkana, Texas at 6 p.m. — 8490 W. 7th St.

■ First Baptist Church in Redwater at 8 p.m. (bike) — 105 Redwater Blvd.