The first Patriot Ruck March will be held Friday, Sept. 6, at the Minot Family YMCA in memory of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Chris Greek, Minot Family YMCA spokesperson who spearheaded the event, said the YMCA is going to give it everything they can with this event. He said there will be ongoing events through the march for families at the YMCA., with booths from helping agencies aimed at family members and food and entertainment for families of those participating.

He said the 11-mile hike is not going to be easy. Its route takes participants from the YMCA, up the hill at Trestle Valley and back. He said he did not want the ruck to be easy, as he wants to ensure thoughts are with the fallen.

There will be registration and money collected will go toward discounts for youth programs for family members of active-duty personnel.

The route is 11 miles because organizers wanted a good path for participants, Greek said. He said they worked to find the best route that “has a challenge aspect to it. That’s part of it. We’re doing this to honor the fallen,” he said.

During the event, there will be an informal memorial at 8:46 a.m. – the time of the United Flight 93 hijacking. Following, there will be a short speech before the ruck begins at 9 a.m. To maintain a safe march, Greek partnered with law enforcement to help along the route.

Regarding pets on the ruck, Greek said “absolutely” but discouraged children from participating, as the route is long and somewhat challenging.

Greek was in the U.S. Air Force for 26 years and after a few moves retired from Minot Air Force Base. He remembers being on post as a defender in Europe on 9/11 and recalls the day well. He said he and all his coworkers were in shock and confusion about what happened. Their work schedule changed significantly as defenders, he said.

As for the first Patriot Ruck March, Greek said the plan is to go at it and see how it goes. He said he’s expecting a fair amount of support from Minot AFB, depending on the mission. The ruck is hosted by the YMCA, which partnered with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, First Command and other helping agencies.