Nearly 15 years after LCpl Colton Rusk was killed in Afghanistan, his memory continues to inspire others through a memorial 5K race in Corpus Christi.
Dozens of runners will gather on Saturday, Nov. 22 at the Cole Park Pier in Corpus Christi, to honor the fallen Marine's sacrifice, with all proceeds from a Memorial 5K run benefiting scholarships for Orange Grove students.
"He was very outgoing. He was easy, easy to love," said Kathy Rusk, Colton's mother.
Rusk enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 17 and was deployed to Afghanistan, where he served as a dog handler with his loyal partner, Eli. He was killed in action at the age 20.
"He told me 'Mom, I will go to college one day. I will do that, but I got to do it my way first. And I want to serve my country,'" Kathy Rusk said.
The family knew the risks, but Colton had a mission to serve his country. Kathy describes her son as strong and brave.
"After so long that you still have people that want to honor him. It says a lot about the person he was," Kathy Rusk said.
The memorial race was organized by Jayden Barnes, the son of one of Colton's high school friends. Barnes approached Kathy last year with the idea to honor Colton's memory through the race.
"I actually did the Colton W. Rusk 5K run in Orange Grove back in 2019. That's about when I first learned about Colton. I remember hearing his story. What had happened," Barnes said.
That original run ended due to the COVID pandemic, prompting Barnes to speak with his parents about bringing the race to Corpus Christi.
"He really is a hero and he's something I can model off of even just in my day-to-day life. Just go out there and be there for everyone," Barnes said.
The event has raised $10,000 so far for Orange Grove student scholarships.
Barnes said he never met Colton personally, but believes events like this remind people why we honor our veterans.
Anyone wanting to participate in Saturday's mornings race can register at the Cole Park from 6:30 a.m till 7:30 a.m. Fees are $30 with a shirt and $15 without a shirt.
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