Sep 9, 2016 By Tara Rack-Amber trackamber@heraldstandard.Com 3 min read

This weekend, veterans and supporters will hike over 70 miles in the Laurel Highlands leading up to a special ceremony in Ohiopyle remembering the events of Sept. 11.

Organized by the Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania, “The Crucible” is a 70.5-mile hike that will take place through the Laurel Highlands and will challenge participants with the military creed — “We’re all together on this.”

The hiking trail stretches along the Laurel Mountains from the Conemaugh Gorge near Johnstown to the Youghiogheny River at Ohiopyle. Although the route and distance of the hike is rigorous, the event was a success from the start, according to the organizers.

“The three-day hike filled up in three days” said Nathan Babyak of the Veterans Leadership Program.

So far, the fundraiser has garnered $61,520, or 103 percent of the goal, with the top individual fundraiser bringing in $7,900 on her own.

The second part of the event is “The Crucible: Remember the Fallen 11-Mile Sprint” where a group of hikers will meet up with the 60 participants of the three-day hike when they reach their final 11 miles.

For each one of the 11 miles, a different fallen service member will be honored and remembered.

“Each mile is going to be marked by a photo with their rank,” said Babyak.

Western Pennsylvania is an appropriate place to hold such an event to benefit veterans because it is home to more than 270,000 veterans and their families, which is the fourth largest concentrations of veterans in the United States, according to the Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania.

The three-day event will culminate with a special ceremony held at the Falls City Restaurant and Pub in Ohiopyle from 11 a.m. to noon Sept. 11.

“There will be festivities. We will set up the finish line. They will get their medals from the hike. The memorial foundation will do a presentation,” said Babyak.

At this ceremony Ben Stahl, interim executive director of Veterans Leadership Program, and Andrew Brennan, founder of the Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation, will say a few words. Also, the uncle of Pfc. Nils G. Thompson, a fallen solider who was struck by enemy fire while on a routine patrol at an Iraqi police station in Mosul, Iraq, on Aug. 4, 2005, will be presented with a plaque to commemorate his service. Thompson was from Confluence.

While the event is a fundraiser to raise money for three Pittsburgh veteran charities, the Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania, Veteran on Fire and the Global War of Terror Memorial Foundation, it will also serve as a platform to share the mission of trying to build the memorial in Washington D.C.

The mission of the nonprofit organization is “to provide the organizing, fundraising and coordinating efforts to build a memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to honor our fallen warriors, U.S. services members, their families and all those who supported our nation’s longest war.”

For more information, go online to neverforgetvets.org.