I’ve always been a sunset kind of person, but a couple of weeks ago I learned to love and respect the dawn. I had to wake up at 3 a.m. on a Sunday to shoot an event in Chicago for Wear Blue:Run to Remember at the Chicago Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon. I watched the sun come up over the Chicago River while volunteers (which included family members of fallen soldiers) line a mile of the race with photos of their deceased loved ones in preparation for the race. After a quiet prayer circle, the echoes of the names of those lost to war bounced off of the skyscrapers as each of the 150 volunteers called them out. Soon after, runners came by to touch flags and kiss the photos of lost husbands, children, parents, and friends. It was only after the race that I learned the woman who hired me had started Wear Blue after she lost her young husband in Afghanistan. This brave young mother of three young children could have given up, but she took her grief and made something great out of it. I encourage everyone to discover and support this great organization started by Lisa Hallett. Her story and the story of the organization’s beginnings can be seen here.
