On Sept 11, 2001, Hanna Born and her sister were at daycare inside the Pentagon when American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the west side of the building.
“I think one piece of the message that my parents made very clear to us the entire time growing up was just how fortunate our family was that day, how many families didn't have the same ending where they got to be reunited,” Born said.
The daughter of two career military officers is now Captain Hanna Born of the U.S. Air Force. Running has always been a big piece of her life, and she was inspired to combine that passion with her desire to honor the 2,977 lives lost on 9/11.
“I kind of got to thinking going into the 25th anniversary of how can we continue this promise to never forget, and how can we do so in a way that's not only every anniversary or not only every September, but something that could last every single day all year round?” she recalled.
She will be running on Friday, when she joins the 34.3 Foundation for its run honoring the 343 FDNY firefighters who lost their lives on Sept. 11. The run from Long Beach, New York, to Ground Zero includes pauses along the way to mark the time of the plane crashes and the fall of both World Trade Center towers.
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Her pledge, named the Run to Remember 2977, started as a personal goal, but over the past year, it's picked up momentum.
“More and more people have began to care about it, want to be involved. I've gotten to talk with family members and loved ones, and learned more about the people that I'm running for and the names that I'm saying,” she said.
As the Run to Remember evolved, she started raising money for the 9/11 Legacy Foundation. The nonprofit is focused on the next generation and ensuring stories of bravery, heroism and survival are celebrated and remembered.
“I hoped you know by doing this and by saying the names and by posting the videos that maybe if somebody was scrolling, a family member or a loved one, they would hear the name spoken out loud and 25 years later they would still feel supported,” she said.
And that effort has been successful at least a few times, with family members commenting on her Instagram post that calls out their loved one.
Born only remembers flashes from that day. But by running, she is doing her part to make sure, collectively, that we never forget.
