A national campaign dedicated to preserving the meaning of Memorial Day is making its way through Indianapolis with hundreds of residents and visitors joining in a commemorative march at Military Park.
The nonprofit Carry the Load organized the Memorial May campaign to recognize the sacrifices of military service members, veterans, first responders and their families.
The initiative, which spans cities across the country, encourages Americans to engage more deeply with the significance of the national holiday.
Carry the Load began as a grassroots effort. According to co-founder, president and CEO Stephen Holley, a U.S. Navy SEAL veteran, it was born “out of anger and frustration for a nation that we felt had forgotten the true meaning of Memorial Day.”
Since then, the campaign has become a source of community healing and remembrance. “Our Memorial May campaign has helped provide healing for friends and family of the fallen and keeps their memories alive,” Holley said in a statement.
The Indianapolis rally will start at 10:30 a.m. May 15, beginning at Military Park, 601 East New York Street. Open to all ages, it invites participants to walk in honor of those who gave their lives in service to the country.
This year marks the eleventh consecutive year that JPMorgan Chase has served as the title sponsor of Memorial May. As part of its support, the firm is hosting 14 community events nationwide, including the one in Indianapolis.
“This partnership reflects JPMorgan Chase’s ongoing commitment to supporting the military and veteran community,” Christina Moungey, region manager for Indiana and Kentucky, J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking said. “We are proud to say in Indianapolis alone, we’ve hired nearly 200 veterans since 2014. These individuals are among America’s best, brightest and bravest. We owe it to them to show our support not only today, but 365 days a year.”
The financial institution has consistently championed veterans and their families. Since 2011, JPMorgan Chase has hired nearly 20,000 veterans nationwide.
Through its involvement in the Veteran Jobs Mission, the company has also facilitated more than one million veteran and military spouse hires. Additionally, through the firm’s philanthropic efforts, over 1,080 mortgage-free homes have been awarded to military families.
Funds raised through Carry the Load go toward programs that address the specific challenges frontline workers and their families face. These include reintegration support, housing stability and health services. Registration for participation remains open to people of all ages and backgrounds, reflecting the organization’s emphasis on inclusive community involvement.
Retired U.S. Navy petty officer second class Inishia Coleman explained why Memorial Day can be very difficult for veterans.
“Even though it is a holiday, veterans deal with issues daily,” Coleman said. “People never know what veterans have seen, done or heard. Loud noises and bright lights, during holidays like this one and the Fourth of July, can take veterans to a dark place they’d rather not revisit.”
Coleman reminds everyone to provide veterans and servicepeople with respect and consideration.
For many, the rally is a way to pay tribute and connect with others who share similar stories of service and sacrifice. Carry the Load has evolved beyond a symbolic gesture to become a sustained effort toward national reflection and healing.
As the campaign continues its nationwide route, Indianapolis stands proudly as a stop on a journey that has come to embody the essence of Memorial Day.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846 or via email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more news, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
