Project Spotlight: Mountain Man Memorial March (MMM#46)
Greetings all,
Madeline here for the 46th Movie Minute. For this entry, we’ll be doing another project spotlight- this time on the annual Mountain Man Memorial March with Legacies Alive, for which we will be travelling to the Great Smoky Mountains this weekend!
Mountain Man is one of three major events we cover for Legacies Alive every year, alongside the Gold Star Family Picnic and Army/Navy Game. It invites Gold Star families and ROTC cadets from all over to honor our fallen heroes and to get some movement by walking or running a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or full marathon. And anyone who participates in the race carries a rucksack and a banner that preserves the memory of a hero who gave their life to serve our country.
Last year’s recap:
It all started when we took a road trip from Florida and Georgia all the way up to Tennessee, from the coastal plain to the foothills of the Smokies. Usually, the journey through several states is quite smooth and chill, but last year we had to push through a strong hailstorm high up in the Smokies before we could finally make it down to Gatlinburg! But once we finally made it through, we were able to check into our rooms and meet up with our amazing family and friends at Legacies Alive.
After dinner from a local steakhouse that night, we set out our game plan for the two full days we’d be in Gatlinburg: a ceremony for our fallen heroes on Friday, followed by the day of the race on Saturday. We made sure all our cameras were ready before we headed to the Gatlinburg Convention Center, where one of us recorded the speeches and ceremony while the other grabbed b-roll of various angles of the audience, honors, etc. These speeches usually come from Gold Star family members, with powerful words about their loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice to serve our country. We then concluded with the naming of several fallen heroes and who will be running for each of them.
Then on Saturday came the day of the race! We made sure to enjoy some breakfast early in the morning with the families to make sure we have plenty of energy as we’ve got a lot to do that day. We make sure to gather opening remarks and the beginning of the race before we go around and interview Gold Star families and others about what Legacies and this event means to them. Of course, we also have to get footage of the race itself- we rode on special vehicles that allowed us to follow along with race participants, and even get some walk-and-talk interviews with some of them!
Following the conclusion of the races, we made sure to get a good amount of footage of the presentation of awards, to show the achievements of those who participated in the race and all of the families who attended this amazing event. As we headed back home down south the next day, we celebrated our wrap and prepared the footage for production of a highlight video and social media reels used to promote the event and Legacies Alive’s mission.
Overall, the Mountain Man Memorial March is one of the most important events that we cover each year. And as a team composed largely of Gold Star children, it is our pleasure to continue to spread the message of an impactful organization that brings families together and honors our fallen heroes.
And that concludes this entry in The Movie Minute. Wishing you all the best, and see y’all in 2! -Madeline
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