Legacy Ruck And Roll To Support Memorial Foundation
Over Memorial Day weekend, Lexington native and fallen veteran Drew Ross and his family were honored at the Indy 500.
On Sunday, May 24, U.S. Army Capt. Andrew “Drew” Patrick Ross’ name was displayed on the United Rentals car in the 110th running of the Indy 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Ross, a 2007 Rockbridge County High School graduate and a 2011 West Point graduate, was killed in Afghanistan by an improvised explosive device at age 29 on Nov. 27, 2018. He was serving with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Afghanistan’s Ghazni Province. Ross was awarded his second Bronze Star and a Purple Heart after his death.
Sarah Geisen, Ross’ older sister, received a phone call on April 3, Good Friday, informing her that Ross’ name would be displayed on the car, thanks to a partnership between United Rentals and Legacies Alive, a nonprofit organization that strengthens and supports Gold Star families and honors America’s fallen heroes.
Geisen, a 2003 RCHS graduate, said, “It was a great event. The people were even better. … These people are salt of the earth. They were very genuine. There were tears from many grown men. They were very touched that we’ve given them the opportunity to honor Drew.”
At the race, Graham Rahal drove the United Rentals car and placed 20th. Geisen and her family were in attendance.
In a WSLS interview, Geisen said, “Obviously, not everybody there knew that Drew’s name was on this car, but you know, they see Drew’s spirit, you know, running around that track at 200 and some miles an hour. And there’s just a little bit of Drew there. And that, that’s enough for me, you know, just to put a little bit of Drew in as many places as we can.”
Legacies Alive has done a great job of honoring Ross and other fallen heroes, Geisen said. She alluded to 1st Lt. Stephen “Chase” Prasnicki, a 2006 RCH graduate and a 2010 West Point graduate who was killed by an IED in Afghanistan at age 24 on June 27, 2012.
The main goal of the Drew Ross Memorial Foundation has been to steer Ross’ story in a positive direction, said Geisen, and there will be another event this Saturday to do so.
On Saturday, the third annual Legacy Ruck and Roll will take place in Richmond. Participants will walk, ruck (walk or hike while carrying a weighted backpack) or roll through a guided reflection experience honoring the legacy and sacrifice of post-9/11 service members while supporting the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation and the Drew Ross Memorial Foundation.
The course will start at the Virginia War Memorial and will finish at The Foundry. Check-in opens at 8 a.m., with opening remarks at 9:30 a.m., and the first wave stepoff is scheduled for 9:40 a.m. To register or find out more information about the event, visit https://runsignup.com/ Race/VA/Richmond/LegacyRuckAndRoll.
Geisen mentioned that there is a documentary in the works for Ross. The filmmaker is a Navy veteran who has ties to Pulaski County in Virginia.
For information and updates on the Drew Ross Memorial Foundation, visit www.drewross.org, or find the foundation on Facebook and Instagram.
