DC Update #5 Mon 10/22/2001 11:57 AM EDT

DC Area Runners and Supporters,

I want to thank all of you that participated in the run earlier this week. You are a great bunch of folks who took the time out of your busy lives to do something important.

All of you who were there know of the many special moments that we experienced for that brief two-hour period. These moments include the support we received from Washingtonians as we ran down our streets, Tommy Reuckert’s prayer (please see the DC page at Flagrun.org) and Mike Burr’s talk to us at the U.S. Capitol, and the turn over of the flag to the Virginia delegation on the west side of the Memorial Bridge. For those that took this flag to the DC/VA border, you will not likely forget the emotion that was felt by both the DC and Virginia Teams as Mike Burr passed the flag off to Tom Heidenberger whose wife Michelle was a Flight Attendant onboard AA Flight 11. Tom was very brave to stand out the way he did in order to accept the flag for Virginia and be part of the group to help complete the journey that his wife was never able to complete. All of these moments made me very proud to be an American and privileged to have spent some time with you all.

Special thanks goes to many people but I want to point out recognition to John and Colleen Dickinson who drove all the way down from Pennsylvania to be able to be able to participate in this national event. Additionally I’d like to thank Bruno Donat who provided much needed transportation for the runners both in DC and Virginia. He took the day off and put many miles on his car to ease the tremendous logistics crunch that had to be overcome. I received a number of emails from folks who were hoping to meet us along the way at Scott Circle and other locations. To those people, thanks for trying to hook up with us. We would love to have had you with us but I know that you were there in spirit. A logistics note for you. If you participated in any way with the run (even those who waited for us but never hooked up)… please send me a note with an address. I would like to be able to send each of you a small memento of this event. Finally, many thanks goes to the DC Police Department who provided us with superb service and ensured that the path through Washington was safe and special.

God Bless all of you and God Bless America,

Yours,

Tom D’Agostino