Brown's Enterprises/New Balance St. Louis is honored to sponsor the inaugural 5-Mile Run/Walk for Remembrance, benefitting the Missouri State Highway Patrol's benevolent fund, the MASTERS (Missouri Association of State Troopers Emergency Relief Society).  Below is more background on this important event and why we encourage you to joins us on Saturday, November 19 for this important event.  

Beth Knight is the run director for the inaugural MSHP 5-Mile Run/Walk for Remembrance. She has three brothers and all are officers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. She came up with the idea for the run after Sgt. Joe Schuengel was killed when his Bell Jet Ranger helicopter he was piloting crashed near the intersection of Clarkson and Kehrs Mill Road, in St. Louis County on October 15, 2010.

Beth was in New York at the time of Joe’s funeral. When she got back to her hotel room, she opened her laptop and saw a picture of her brother Mike carrying Joe to his final resting place. It was at that time she felt she had to do something to help the families of those lost in the line of duty while working for the Highway Patrol. She took her love of running and the MSHP and put together this event to bring awareness to the men and women in blue that protect us.

Sergeant Schuengel, 47, joined the Highway Patrol on August 1, 1993, and served as the Troop C pilot for seven years. Sergeant Schuengel is survived by his mother and three sisters. He is the 29th member of the Missouri State Highway Patrol to die in the line of duty. If you want to read a brief summary concerning the death of Sgt. Schuengel and the other officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, visit www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/UltimateSacrifice/index.html.  This information is available so that we will never forget the sacrifices these officers made for the Patrol, the people of Missouri, and all who travel our highways.

This is the first time that the Highway Patrol Benevolent Fund has been the beneficiary of an event of this type and magnitude. The City of Weldon Spring has been very gracious to allow certain roads to close for the safety of those participating. Many law enforcement officers from the Highway Patrol and surrounding agencies will be on hand to direct traffic plus encourage runners and walkers. Many are participating too!  MoDOT’s mascot, Barrel Bob, will be on hand as well to motivate participants through the course.  A beautifully engraved medal will be waiting for everyone once they cross the finish line to act as a reminder of the event.  Ultimate Sacrifice t-shirts will also be sold for $15 to raise money for MASTERS.  The cotton tees have the MSHP logo on the front and the names of those officers who have died in the line of duty on the back.  We hope to see you all at Bryon Middle School on November 19 at 8 am. Click here to register or for more information:  http://themastersmo.org/