Another successful installment of Heroes on the Dunes saw hundreds of attendees in Silver Lake over the weekend, with several events taking place between Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20.
This is the tenth year the popular event has taken place, honoring military personnel and first responders, and according to Janet Dodge, one of the organizers, attendance has only continued to grow.
“We had good attendance, with probably around 740 people, including Heroes and their family members,” Dodge said. “We had just over 220 volunteers. It just keeps growing, with every year topping the previous one.”
Dodge and other organizers are always looking for opportunities to add new things to the itinerary. This year, the popular fly over on the dunes by Hooligans Flight Team was replaced with two new elements.
“People love the Hooligans Flight Team, but it’s always nice to see something different,” Dodge said. “This year we added paratroopers and had a Huey helicopter fly over during the event. The helicopter even landed at Val-Du afterward, so people were able to walk around and view that right up close.”
Even with 220 volunteers, Dodge noted that they’re always looking for more help – in whatever form that comes in.
“We would not be able to do this event without our volunteers,” Dodge said. “An army comes together to put this on for heroes and their family members, but we’re always looking for more volunteers and any financial support.
“You never really understand the impact an event has until you come out and experience it. Once you do, you’ll understand what it means to the heroes.”
Heroes on the Dunes is put on by The Heroes Organization. The group hosts several events each year, with their next one, a color run, taking place in St. Helen, Mich. Saturday, Oct. 14.
