26.2 for Yanky 72
Donation protected
On July 10, 2017, "Yanky 72," a USMC KC-130T cargo plane carrying 16 US servicemen, crashed into a Mississippi field, killing all aboard.
My brother, Gy Sgt Mark A. Hopkins, USMC, was among those killed.
On October 28, 2018, we will run the 43rd Marine Corps Marathon to honor and remember the 16 men we lost aboard Yanky 72.
We chose to run for charity because we remain overwhelmed with gratitude. To Mark's unit, VMGR-452, to the Marine families, to our own families, to total strangers and to the charities that helped us navigate through the foggy, grief-stricken days and weeks following the crash. We didn't really know how to process what had happened - and still don't - but The Wingman Foundation and Semper Fi Fund were there to support us in those awful hours, days and weeks and support us still.
The Wingman Foundation and Semper Fi Fund provided financial assistance for air travel, lodging and rental cars so that our entire family was able to be at every service honoring Mark and Yanky 72. We felt compelled to replace the funds that they so generously provided and felt the Marine Corps Marathon was a fitting platform to do so.
While we received tremendous support from both organizations, for this effort we chose to focus our fundraising on The Wingman Foundation (TWF).
TWF is a relatively new organization, founded in 2014 by three active duty military aviators. With an oath "to honor the sacrifices of our fallen air warriors and support the families they've left behind," they are an all-volunteer organization staffed by over a dozen active and former Marine and Navy pilots and civilians. They support both Navy and Marine Corps aviation on both coasts as well as those stationed abroad.
Having a non-profit background myself, I feel compelled to help this young organization grow. Through our campaign, we want to publicly thank Wingman's founders and those who followed for their commitment and service to our country. We also want to show them widespread support for their ongoing dedication to military families as they cope with tragedy and loss.
Our goal is to raise $15,000 for The Wingman Foundation, to tell the stories and celebrate the lives of those we lost and to share our experience as we push through our own grief by training for this exceptional event.
We hope you will join our journey (we have more information and will have an online journal you can follow on our website, http://yanky72.net) and support our goal by making a contribution.
With gratitude,
Deneen Hopkins Wiske and Luke Wiske
My brother, Gy Sgt Mark A. Hopkins, USMC, was among those killed.
On October 28, 2018, we will run the 43rd Marine Corps Marathon to honor and remember the 16 men we lost aboard Yanky 72.
We chose to run for charity because we remain overwhelmed with gratitude. To Mark's unit, VMGR-452, to the Marine families, to our own families, to total strangers and to the charities that helped us navigate through the foggy, grief-stricken days and weeks following the crash. We didn't really know how to process what had happened - and still don't - but The Wingman Foundation and Semper Fi Fund were there to support us in those awful hours, days and weeks and support us still.
The Wingman Foundation and Semper Fi Fund provided financial assistance for air travel, lodging and rental cars so that our entire family was able to be at every service honoring Mark and Yanky 72. We felt compelled to replace the funds that they so generously provided and felt the Marine Corps Marathon was a fitting platform to do so.
While we received tremendous support from both organizations, for this effort we chose to focus our fundraising on The Wingman Foundation (TWF).
TWF is a relatively new organization, founded in 2014 by three active duty military aviators. With an oath "to honor the sacrifices of our fallen air warriors and support the families they've left behind," they are an all-volunteer organization staffed by over a dozen active and former Marine and Navy pilots and civilians. They support both Navy and Marine Corps aviation on both coasts as well as those stationed abroad.
Having a non-profit background myself, I feel compelled to help this young organization grow. Through our campaign, we want to publicly thank Wingman's founders and those who followed for their commitment and service to our country. We also want to show them widespread support for their ongoing dedication to military families as they cope with tragedy and loss.
Our goal is to raise $15,000 for The Wingman Foundation, to tell the stories and celebrate the lives of those we lost and to share our experience as we push through our own grief by training for this exceptional event.
We hope you will join our journey (we have more information and will have an online journal you can follow on our website, http://yanky72.net) and support our goal by making a contribution.
With gratitude,
Deneen Hopkins Wiske and Luke Wiske
Organizer
Deneen Hopkins Wiske
Organizer
City of Middleton, WI
