Our work with carry the load
Carry The Load & Memorial May Events
Transition Skills Training is excited to have been chosen as a 2022 National Non-Profit Partner for Carry The Load! This partnership is designed to bring honor to the sacrifice of our nation’s heroes - military and first responders - by bringing back the true meaning of Memorial Day across the country. It is also a platform for TST and Carry The Load to raise funds for our shared mission to engage, assist, and empower veterans, first responders and their families.
We encourage you to join us in this meaningful mission across the US - all are welcome!
Please consider volunteering with the Transition Skills Team. We have live, in-person events AND easy, online activities to choose from. All are welcome to join our team - we have family, friends, and business supporters in 5 states so far - here's are some ways you can participate:
- Fun live events in Dallas & Austin, with live music & hockey
- Virtual fundraising campaigns, we'll give you the tools
- You can join our team and cheer from the sidelines
- Walk with us in the national relay, making stops across the US
- Cycling is also an option, you can do the walk on a bike!
- Create your own team or host your own events if you want to
- You can do a personal challenge (these are fun and can help you get in shape too if that's your thing)
- Simple donations are always welcome! (link coming soon)
Upcoming Dates to Remember
We've listed dates and locations we plan to participate in as a Team, but there are literally hundreds of options in cities all across the country. We will add more as we know more, so please also join our mailing list to keep up with the latest news.
Memorial Day Weekend - Relay Walk & Rally Event
Our team will also have people at stops in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Boston, Denver, Memphis, Jacksonville, and more... ask us where!
Lone Star Warrior Classic Hockey Tournament
Free Event in Allen Texas, April 1-3
Multiple Memorial May Relays & Rallies
A Variety of family-friendly events in support of this important mission will run from April 28 - May 29, 2022
The Memorial March
Join us at Reverchon Park in Dallas, TX, to honor our nation's heroes with a two-day event, including a 20 hour march along the Katy Trail.
Sunday, May 29, 2022
See our Events page for more details...
Who do you carry?
We are carrying Corporal Gregory Jon Olsen.
The family of TST Director CJ Niehoff lost a son, a brother, a cousin, a friend.
Greg died May 25, 1969 in Vietnam. He was 22 years old.
Greg served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was in a heavy mortar platoon in Dinh Tuong Province when a gasoline explosion burned him badly. He succumbed to his wounds two days later. “Everybody loved Greg, both back home and in-country. He was a special part of our family and we’re all proud of his service and were devastated by his sacrifice,” recalled his cousin C.J. Niehoff. Greg’s family received a letter from a fellow soldier, Dennis Thian, explaining that Greg had helped him get through Vietnam and was a “hell of a man.” There are many similar stories about Greg Olsen.
This poster will be displayed along the Relay Routes & Memorial Rally
We have scheduled Greg's memorial poster to be on display in his hometown and where family and friends are likely to be participating in the Memorial May events. These events are not a rah-rah fundraising opportunity. They are so much more. We are making sure that the fallen are remembered.
Who do you carry?
If you have a friend or family member that has been lost while in service in the military or as a first responder, that is who you carry.
If you would like to have a storyboard like this made in their honor, please email us and we will help you have a storyboard like this one made. There is no cost for this gesture in service to your family or friend. Any member of the US military who is lost while serving in wartime can be included. We are also able to extend this service for fallen first responders. Any man or woman who dies while serving all of us deserves to be honored, respected and remembered.
Even if you do not want to have a storyboard made, you can participate with us in person or virtually for the Memorial May events over the coming months. If you decide to walk with us, you will "carry" them with you, with the option to display their name and to share their story, or not. This is a reverent and personal choice and our team will follow your lead on how much or how little to share.
Any Questions?
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions about how you can participate or support this work. We need boots on the ground, hands at work and of course, donations are always welcome.