Vest Up 4 the Fallen #SixFive

Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial
Boston, MA 02108

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Event Description

What is Vest Up 4 the Fallen #SIXFIVE- Boston 2 Bourne
Vest Up 4 The Fallen is a time to honor, remember, respect, reflect and pay tribute to all the US Armed Forces members who paid the Ultimate Sacrifice in service to our country.
Vest Up 4 The Fallen is a 65 mile march, over 24 hours, without sleep. Participants start at Boston Common on Sunday, Memorial Day Weekend and concludes on Monday, Memorial Day at the Massachusetts National Cemetery on Cape Cod. Participants raise money for Give2Those.org, a 501c3 non-profit organization.
Our motto “ Do You Have What it Takes” and “What’s Your Why” and has become a driving forces for many people to register and take part in this 65 mile march because each person's “WHY” is different from the next. Vest Up 4 the Fallen is a time where each person has dug deep to answer that question within themselves “ Do You Have What it Takes” to push themselves one step after another towards the 65 mile destination.
All It Takes Is All You Got
Note: You are responsible for a Ride to drop you off at the Start and pick you up at the Finish. 
Start Location: Boston Common; Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial, Boston, MA 
Registration Gathering Date & Time: 3:30am Sunday, May 29, 2022
Ceremony Starts at 4:00a.m
Step Off Time: 4:30am 
Ending Date: Memorial Day Monday May 30 2022
Ending ETA: 9:00-9:30am    (ETA means estimated time of arrival)
Ending Location: Massachusetts National Cemetery, Connery Ave, Buzzards Bay, MA 02542 
 
Registration opens at 3:30am, Sunday May 29, 2022 @ the Boston Common Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial statue, Boston, MA 02108.
Opening Ceremony Starts at 4:00am
We will step off at 4:30am Sunday, May 29, 2022 and walk through the Memorial Green where 37,000 flags are placed to honor the Massachusetts service members who died in service to our nation. 

The team is to complete the mission and get to the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Connery Ave, Buzzards Bay, MA 02542- around 8:30-9:30am on Memorial Day, Monday May 30, 2022
 
What's the significants of wearing the Vest?
A Vest is a necessity in the military, as it provides increase levels of protection for service members, saves lives, and helps fellow service members secure and rescue a wounded or mortally wound service member; dragging them by their vest to safety in an emergency. 
By wearing a weighted vest you are constantly reminded of the all around weight and discomfort it may bring, but that it is nothing compared to the deep weight of sorrow and grief their loved ones carry in their heart everyday single day. The weight and discomfort you feel Memorial Day weekend is just that, a Weekend but your WHY is greater than yourself, it's a time where you dig deep to honor, remember, reflect,respect and pay tribute to the sacrifices made in service to our Country and letting their loved ones know that that sacrifice is not forgotten nor are they, for we understand that their sorrow and grief is not just a weekend, and it does not have a cure; for its forever!
 
How much should your Vest Weight: Ultimately you decide but we suggest you DO NOT CARRY HEAVY! 
Can I Wear a Ruck? 
We encourage those who want to participate to wear a vest because of what it represents but we will not condemn anyone if they wear a ruck. 

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Registration costs:
 
Register early as rates goes up after April 4th, 2022.
Registration is $65.00 that equals to one dollar per mile.
After April 4th it goes up to $75.00
After May 5th goes up to $85.00 (Shirt Size will Not be Guaranteed)  
What if I choose to Fundraise and Opt-out of paying the $65.00?
***** If you choose to fundraise $150.00 you will receive $65.00 off the initial registration fee but you will be required to meet the minimum fundraising goal of $150.00.
In order for the fee to be waived, You will be prompted on the fourth page to become a fundraiser. Click become fundraiser and on the right hand side check off the $150.00 box this will automatically allow you to be come a fundraiser and the fee will be waived.
Take note due to cost associated with this event if you choose to opt out of paying the $65.00 registration fee, and you do not reach the $150 fundraiser goal, YOU are in understanding and agreement to pay the full $150 or the difference in which you did not raise. 
********* Please note this is required not only due to cost associated with the event as noted above but to also keep people from being able to choose this option and then not show up etc. 
This is a fundraiser event to help Give2Those Mission in helping and supporting our Nations Heroes and their Families; So Please before choosing this option take full note!!
The deadline to fundraise is Tuesday, May 31 2022 at 11:59pm EDT. 
Information on Fundraising:
Those who raise $150 or more will also receive an additional incentive. TBD
We also continue to have swag incentives for those who continue to fundraise beyond $150.00 we make it fun and exciting you never know what you might receive as swag. 
Once the $2,500.00 Fundraising Goal has been hit we will release the TOP OVERALL FUNDRAISER AWARD- A 4ft Soldier.
This award is only given to the Top OverAll Fundraiser. We do not release it into the fundraising award until a min. of $2,500.00 has been hit.

Do What You Can Miles  this is for people who want to get out and walk and support the team/event but do not feel that they can attempt the Full 65 mile march. The "Do What You can Miles" allows you to choose how many miles you can do. 
Register early as rates goes up after April 4th, 2022. 
Registration is $40.00 
After April 4th it goes up to $50.00 
After May 5th goes up to $60.00 (Shirt Size will Not be Guaranteed)  
Please Note: for "Do What You can Miles" YOU WILL NEED a Support Vehicle (family, friend etc) to follow along with you or be close by in case you need to Tap Out.Only know your body and how many miles you can do at any given time.
 
Each Registered Participant will receive- 

Official Vest Up 4 The Fallen Tee-Shirt 
Fueling Snacks and waters will be provided- 
(Hydration is provided but we suggest you have hydration on you before you arrive and at step off.)
Alumni Sports Cafe will be providing pizza to the team 25.2 Miles into the event. 
Only those who complete the FULL 65 MILES will be patched at Massachusetts National Cemetery.  
We also have something special for those who just might not make it the full 65 miles; this will also be given to all those who do complete the whole 65 miles. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
More About the Event:
The team will be marching down RT53 and 3A South, traversing through the following city and towns Boston, Quincy, Weymouth, Hingham, Norwell, Hanover, Pembroke, Duxbury, Kingston, Plymouth, Bourne, Buzzards Bay, until they reach their destination at the Massachusetts National Cemetery on Memorial Day Monday, May 29, 2022. 
We will have support vehicles along the route and also a trailer. 
We will have a tracker link for the team as a whole but we suggest you add a tracker to your own phone as well.
The Tracker system we use is Glympse - Share GPS location Glympse is a fast, free and simple way to share your real-time location using GPS tracking, with any of your family or friends. https://glympse.com/get-glympse-app/
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Hotels at Bourne and Later Evening on Memorial Day
We will be coordinating with Hotels on Bourne to get rates for those doing the event. This will be updated and an email will go our to all registered participants.
We are also looking into having a Memorial Day Night gathering Dinner in Bourne. This will be an extra fee but it will be a time for the Team to come together on Memorial Day later in the evening to talk and reflect. 
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Safety is our number one priority!!!!! 
There will be a safety briefing at the start of the event. 
1. We ask that you carry your ID 
2. There are many potential hazards in an open road race of this type including, but not limited to: automobile traffic, creatures in the road and/or on pathways, walkways, roads etc and weather.
3. We ask that all participants please take appropriate precautions to ensure a safe event. Please help us keep this event safe by focusing on being safe and using caution at all times. Route is not free of traffic so it will be important for all participants  to use good judgment and Be Alert on Blind Curves and lack of sidewalks.
4. Listening to music with both headphones in can be dangerous. You need to be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times. We encourage you to listen to music using just use one earpiece.
5.  Pre-hydrate before you start and continue to hydrate during the event. Electrolyte replacement is just as important as hydration. Gatorade, Power Aid drinks. Hydration powders can help with that.
If its hot out, keeping your core body temperature as low as possible is also a vital component when being active in the heat. If you are feeling over heated or are getting hot you can pour cold water on your head and neck and to slow your pace are two great ways to help keep your body’s temperature under control.
*****  If you stop to use the bathroom YOU CAN NOT be driven to catch up you must do what it takes to catch up to the team even if it means running. Why?? Because getting into a car only cheats yourself but most of all those you are doing it in honor of....... Our Fallen Heroes, Period!
Lastly- Respect private property along the route. Don't relieve yourself in the neighbors bushes. Respect the outdoors: Do Not Litter!

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 What Gear to Pack- If in Yellow it is a MUST Pack!
1. We ask that you carry your ID on you
2. Emergency Blanket 
3. MUST have at least a Head Lamp
4.  Reflective Gear, Flash Light and blinking light for the back of vest  
5. Warm Jacket, Gloves, and Hat (It gets cold on the Cape)
6. Body Powder
7. Hand warmers help when you get to the Cape
8. Few Pairs min. Change of Socks (Trust us You'll be changing them at least once) 
9. Battery Pack and Phone Cord for your phone 
10. Band-Aid Brand Hydro Seal All Purpose Adhesive
11. If the weather is to have rain bring an extra set of clothing.
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What happens if you have to quit/tap out?
Do not leave without telling one of the Volunteers or Director of the event.
If you TAP OUT YOU are responsible for a Ride to pick you up at your drop out location. 
If you do decide to TAP OUT Please let a Volunteer or Event Director know as we have a body count system. 
Remember your apart of this team beyond Tap oUT, We do ask you to meet us at Massachusetts National Cemetery for the closing ceremony. 
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How did -Vest Up 4 The Fallen, Boston 2 Bourne first start? 
In 2020 as Covid-19 made life come to a halt in so many ways to include canceling Memorial Day Ceremonies across the Nation, President and Founder of Give2Those.org had seen many Gold Star Families, Veterans, Active Duty Members and Patriots  posting on social media about events all across America being canceled; she thought to herself Memorial Day should never be canceled. That's when she made it her goal to honor the fallen and came up with a plan, to Trek 65 miles from Boston Common to Massachusetts National Cemetery wearing a Vest in Honor and Remember the sacrifices made in service to our Nation. That being said close friends from Gold Star Families, Active Duty Members, First Responders and Patriots joined forces with her to walk along side and complete the mission with her. After the event people reached out and asked her if she would continue to put together this event and well now here we are 2021 and this May the journey will begin once again.
This event will take All That You've Got, It will take heart and Soul for your mind and body will have wanted to quit long before you get to the Cemetery. The question is DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!!!!
 
The team will be raising funds for Give2Those.org a 501c3 non-profit organization
The mission of Give2Those is to step in and provide vital financial assistance and support when hardship, distress, and/or tragedy strikes an active duty member, veteran, first responder, or their family. In addition to providing financial assistance, Give2Those also focuses ​on ​engaging communities​ and citizen participation in taking time to honor, remember and reflect on the sacrifices made by those who serve; and to empower, encourage, support, and reconnect service members, veterans, first responders and their families with themselves, each other, and their community.


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