Five Hills royalty honor veterans

Service members and the ultimate sacrifice they have made to ensure our nation’s freedoms were the priority for the Five Hills royalty as they stepped out this Independence Day to remember those who have lost their lives.
The titleholders represented the city at Fort Hood’s annual 5K Remembrance Run/Walk on Saturday morning, honoring service members who have lost their lives since 9/11 as they made their way through the streets of the military post lined with more than 7,000 pairs of boots. Five Hills Ambassador and military spouse Trish Stutz was looking for a specific pair of boots along the route.
“It was important for the royalty to pay especially pay tribute to Christopher Atkinson who lost his life in 2012,” Stutz said. “He is the father of one of our former royalty. So, we have a special tie to his family and that makes this personal for all of us. Sgt. Atkinson is a reminder that freedom isn’t free.”
The royalty also began a 10-day project caring for Fort Hood’s Boot Memorial Display starting July 1-10. The titleholders have sole responsibility for ensuring that the boots are upright, photos are in place and any additional items are cared for while the display is in place.
In another event, the titleholders carried proudly carried Old Glory and trekked a 10K across Fort Hood, laying flowers at the memorials across the military post while paying tribute to fallen service members and remembering especially those whose lives were cut short due to suicide. The ruck march was led by Frank Cash, formerly of the 13 Expeditionary Sustainment Command, who has a tremendous story of his own as he tried to commit suicide when he had no hope.
In royalty sightings this week, look for the royalty to continue their work on the Fort Hood Boot Memorial Display, compete in the Lampasas Spring Ho Cardboard Boat Regatta, and on July 5, Little Miss Five Hills Kadence Coombs hosts Medal Mania at GymKix as part of her community service project, Bling for Bravery.  She is collecting any medals on neck ribbons that she will donate to the Snowdrop Foundation. New ribbons will be placed on the medals and they will be given to children fighting cancer to encourage them to finish their race against the deadly disease.