Last week I wrote how the great works of the Sodexo Foundation had inspired me and my family to do more in our own community. For my part, I participated in the Run to Home Base, a 9K run that started and ended at the historic home of the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park. The run honored our nation’s heroic veterans and helped raise funds to serve those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with combat stress disorders and/or traumatic brain injury.
“Thousands of soldiers returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan grapple with combat stress disorders and/or traumatic brain injury. Nearly one in five currently suffers from depression or stress disorders. Many veterans struggle with the stigma associated with these injuries and the so called “invisible wounds” caused by battlefield experiences. While anxiety and distress may not be as obvious as the physical wounds of war, the scars are just as painful and deep.”
- Run to Home Base
While I have never served in the military, the race held special meaning for me. My father served in the Navy before I was born and I guess running was a way for me to recognize and honor that service. In my role at Sodexo, I also work with an incredible team of recruiters who seek active and reserve service members and Veterans for employment opportunities with our company. I am privileged to be on the national leadership team of HONOR, an employee network group that provides support, guidance and resources to employees and families connected to the military and I was honored to be one of those in attendance when Sodexo received the Secretary of Defense Freedom Award.
If you follow me on Twitter or are my friend on Facebook, you probably know that I’m a Red Sox fan. If the connection to our military veterans were not enough to entice me to run, the finish line for this event was crossing home plate at the “most beloved ballpark” in all of baseball, Fenway Park! Despite being “flat foot” and “pigeon toed” since my first steps, as Forrest Gump would say, “I was runnin!"
I arrived on race day with two goals. 1) Finish the race in under an hour (did I mention, I’m not a runner) and 2) don’t look silly when they take the picture crossing home plate. I quickly realized that both goals were irrelevant to the events of the day.
More than 2000 runners lined up at the starting line. Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline got the partisan Red Sox crowd warmed up but it was the stories of the soldiers for whom we were running and the singing of the National Anthem that was pure adrenaline. When the starter’s pistol sounded, I had forgotten the two silly goals that I came with. I just wanted to run.
So I ran for the soldiers that were overseas that day and for the soldiers that lined our route and cheered us on. I ran for the thousands of soldiers returning from war with combat stress disorders or traumatic brain injury. I ran for my dad and other veterans in whose honor my friends, family and colleagues had made donations. Of all the people that I was running for, clearly the one that benefitted the most was me.
From the starting line on Yawkey Way through the finish line on the field at Fenway to the after race activities in the concourse (1500 care packages were assembled for soldiers overseas), it was an outstanding day that I will not soon forget. I am thankful to the friends, family and Sodexo colleagues who donated and eternally grateful to the men and women who serve in the armed forces. Whether you are a runner or not, I encourage everyone to take a moment to say THANKS to the men and women who keep us safe.
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Anthony Scarpino is a Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at Sodexo. In this role, Anthony leads recruitment teams that focus on sourcing, attracting and recruiting facilities management engineers and top talent from the United States armed forces. Anthony directs the implementation of Sodexo's employment branding including the use of Social Media properties and Web 2.0 tools. Prior to joining talent acquisition, Anthony managed unit food service operations in Sodexo's Health Care division. He is a registered dietitian and past president of the Massachusetts Dietetic Association. Anthony invites you to connect with him on Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook.
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Much more on Sodexo’s history of serving and employing our nation’s veterans can be found at www.SodexoHiresHeroes.com including the stories of just a few of the 3000 veterans, guard members and reservists that we employ.
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