On April 17, the Murray County (Minnesota) Amateur Radio Club was on hand for the Honor Flight 5K Run/Walk, which was held in Slayton. There were approximately 150 runners/walkers for the event to help raise money for World War II veterans to fly to Washington, DC to visit the WWII Memorial.

Murray County Amateur Radio Club members helped with the safety of participants and traffic control at intersections along the race route. There were six operators covering the 5K race route with one operator (an EMT) riding with EMS in case anyone was in need of assistance while running the race.

The Murray County Wellness Committee commented that some of the participants reported that they felt safe during the race. Other participants commented that it was nice to have the radio club at the main intersections on the route stopping the traffic for them. The Murray County Amateur Radio Club has been asked to assist in the future for other 5K Walk/Run races. The Murray County Amateur Radio Club is made up of 30 members from multiple counties in southwest Minnesota and they are active in Amateur Radio throughout the region

. -- Kevin Haney, KC0YKX, Murray County ARES Emergency Coordinator