A national veterans group wants to revive the Shelton Sunset Road Race this summer.
Hope for the Warriors, a group that supports wounded veterans who have returned from fighting overseas, plans to hold a 10‑K race along the former Sunset Road Race route Aug. 14.
Click play on the video at left to see footage from past races the group has hosted across the country.
The Parks and Recreation Commission last week approved the proposal.
John Reh, team director for Hope for the Warriors, presented the plans to the commission last Thursday.
“A lot of service members don’t come back with their fellow soldiers,” Reh said, adding that the races help raise funds to allow the community “to welcome these individuals home.”
Hope For The Warriors
The group was founded in 2006 by Marine Corps spouses, Reh said, and has created programs to help families of armed service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hope for the Warriors provides networking and mentoring services for wounded veterans and helps them find employment.
It also funds “Hope Beyond Recovery” spousal scholarships, since some wounded soldiers cannot return to work.
In addition, the organization funds programs to provide for the immediate needs of soldiers returning home and their families.
Hope for the Warriors has partnered with participants in the Marine Corps Marathon and the New York City Marathon to raise money for their cause.
They have organized seven races across the country and would like to sponsor the Sunset Road Race in Shelton to raise additional funds, Reh said.
The Race
The route for the proposed 10-kilometer race in Shelton would be the same as the route of the former Sunset Road Race.
The Shelton Sunset Road Race was run by the Shelton Road Runners Club for about 20 years, up until about 10 years ago, said Parks and Recreation director Ron Herrick.
Up to 800 people ran the race at its peak.
The route started in Huntington, near the community center, and ran past the green and Route 108, Herrick said.
When the running club stopped hosting the race, the city remained involved in a 5K road race during November, Herrick said.
The proposed Hope for the Warriors race would also include a 1 ½‑mile fitness walk to “create a family atmosphere for children,” Reh said.
A color guard ceremony kicks off each event, and volunteers travel with the races.
“We’ve done quite a few races,” Reh said, adding that his organization has developed a large network of contacts in the state.
Casey O’Donnell, run coordinator for Hope for the Warriors, added, “We want it to be a community-oriented event.”
The group raises money through fundraising and corporate sponsorships.
They are currently working with Sikorsky Aircraft, the largest employer in Connecticut, to obtain a sponsorship.
“We will do pretty much everything,” Reh said, in terms of organizing the event and recruiting volunteers. “We’ll do the heavy lifting.”
Hope for the Warriors would need to coordinate with the city as far as having an emergency presence at the race and closing off roads.