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Freedom 500 Relay Runners Reach Washington, D.C.

The relay runners cross Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., on their way to New York City.
The relay runners cross Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., on their way to New York City.

The group of Duke alumni military veterans participating in the Freedom 500, a relay reaching from the Duke Chapel to the World Trade Center site in New York City, arrived in Washington, D.C., Wednesday morning.

While in the nation's capitol, the group visited Arlington National Cemetery, where they met with Assistant Secretary of Veterans' Affairs for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Tommy Sowers (T'98). After crossing the Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, the seven military veterans paid a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to spend time with wounded warriors.

The group has completed 250 miles of their planned 500 mile run between the Duke Chapel and New York City. You can follow the progress of the seven alumni on their Facebook page. 

The run will raise money for The Mission Continues, an organization started by alumnus and veteran Eric Greitens that awards community service fellowships to post-9/11 veterans.

Below: The team stops at the Lincoln Memorial

Freedom 500