Nov 30

Fission Helps Travis Manion Foundation to Honor Fallen 9/11 Heroes

posted by Sam Marx on November 30, 2011

After he was killed in Iraq by enemy sniper rifle fire, Travis Manion’s family and friends understood firsthand the importance of honoring those who have lost their lives fulfilling the duty of serving and protecting America. The Travis Manion Foundation, created originally as a memorial fund to inspire future generations of leaders through scholarships at LaSalle College High School, has grown over the years into three programs that feature the Character Does Matter Leadership program, the Honor the Fallen program with Challenge Grants and Fellowship pairings, and the 9/11 Heroes Run that takes place each September 11th.

With Fission Strategy, the 9/11 Heroes Run was able to increase its impact through a web platform that helped runners and volunteers alike organize close to home. Using interactive maps, participants could access race information, see the fundraising goals, easily contact local organizers, and register to get involved.

The ultimate goal of the 9/11 Heroes Run was to “Honor the fallen by challenging the living.” Veterans, first responders, and civilians that were involved in the 9/11 attacks and subsequent military actions were all recognized at the events, and with Fission Strategy’s online campaign was able to attract over 15,000 runners, 35,000 spectators, and 1,500 volunteers. Twenty-nine cities across the U.S. held the 5k runs, and eight international runs took place in locations such as Guam, Italy, Iraq, the United Kingdom, and Afghanistan.

Beyond obtaining nearby race location information for runners, volunteers, and spectators, the 9/11 Heroes Run web platform developed by Fission allowed supporters to learn about the Travis Manion Foundation, explore news and multimedia about the Heroes Run, share and view personal photos from the Heroes Run, and spread awareness via Facebook and Twitter. For those unable to participate or attend an event, online donations were made to be a few easy clicks away.

Not only is Fission Strategy proud to have increased the outreach of the 9/11 Heroes Run support the Travis Manion Foundation, but Fission employees such as Jake Brewer participated in his local 5k as well, showing that taking action is just as important as encouraging others to do so. Hopefully next year’s 9/11 Heroes Run will be even larger!