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Over the course of 24 empowering hours, the track at Midland Valley High School became a symbol of strength and unity. From Friday, May 22 through Saturday, May 23, Midland Valley Navy JROTC cadets, Aiken County Public School District (ACPSD) leaders, and local community members ran a collective 99 miles. Their mission? To honor the 99 service members from across South Carolina who made the ultimate sacrifice during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The idea was sparked three months ago by Command Master Chief (CMC) Steve Crossland, a Midland Valley NJROTC instructor. When he approached Principal Sheldon Higgenbottom with the concept, the principal’s directive was simple: “Go for it.”

What began as a lesson to teach students the true distinction between Veterans Day and Memorial Day quickly transformed into a powerful, community-wide movement.

Over the course of 24 hours, the track became a continuous relay of remembrance. Students, athletes, teachers, first responders, and District leaders moved in shifts, carrying three flags: the American, the Gold Star Family, and the Midland Valley High School flag. Every mile was run with intentionality. With each strike of a bell marking a finished mile, the name of a fallen South Carolina soldier was called out, honoring a life lost.

Aiken County Public School District Superintendent Dr. Corey Murphy, a 26-year veteran who answered the call to deploy twice, kicked off the opening leg of the run carrying the United States flag.

Support poured in at all hours of the day and night. Assistant Superintendent Bert Postell kicked off the effort on Friday, while Assistant Superintendent of Special Programs Beth Taylor conquered her mile at 5:30 AM on Saturday. They were joined by a rotating roster that included Midland Valley’s volleyball, baseball, and soccer teams, alongside dedicated teachers, the Young Marines, and first responders from Aiken Public Safety, the Midland Valley Fire Department, and the Aiken County Sheriff’s Department.

“Today, we celebrate, honor, and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defense of this country of ours,” Dr. Murphy shared during his opening remarks. “For those of us who have served, and those who have known those who served and lost their lives, this is not a happy day. It is a day of honor and reverence.”

The determination of the cadets was put to the ultimate test on Friday evening when severe storms rolled across Aiken County.

Safety protocols forced the NJROTC members to halt outdoor operations and seek temporary shelter on a hot school bus. Refusing to let the clock run out or fall behind on their 99-mile goal, the cadets quickly adapted. They moved the run inside the high school gymnasium, hustling across the hardwood floors to keep the momentum alive until the storm passed. Thanks to their unwavering grit, they stayed perfectly on track.

As the event progressed, a profound and unexpected connection emerged between the event's organizer, CMC Crossland, and Superintendent Dr. Corey Murphy.

During his opening speech, Dr. Murphy spoke movingly about his cousin, though he had no idea how that name would soon connect to the man standing next to him.

“I personally had the honor of being on an honor flight coming back from Dover Air Force Base with my cousin who served,” Dr. Murphy shared. “He followed in my footsteps. He did not make it back from Afghanistan, and so things like this help me to remember him and honor his service.”

Shortly after the event had begun, a bystander asked Crossland to check if Dr. Murphy’s relative was on the South Carolina fallen hero roster. When Crossland looked down at the list, he was stunned. The superintendent’s cousin was First Lieutenant Tavarius Bowman, the exact soldier assigned to the final, culminating mile of the 24-hour event.

But the connection ran much deeper than a simple scheduling coincidence. For Crossland, that name carried a decade of personal history.

“The first time I ever attempted a run like this years ago, I ran for the Navy sailors because I was a Navy guy,” Crossland reflected. “On my first ever year trying this, I finished right at a cemetery on base. The last name I had to call out was First Lieutenant Tavarius Bowman, and it just stuck with me. Ten years later, somebody comes up to me and says, 'Hey, Superintendent Murphy is looking for his cousin's name.' They told me the name, and it is the very last name on our list before we finish. It’s a connection 10 years in the making that we had absolutely no clue existed.”

The event also served as a fundraiser, with all proceeds being split evenly between the Midland Valley NJROTC program and the Dillon Scholarship Fund.

The family of Cpl. Matthew Dillon, a South Aiken High School graduate who was killed in action in Iraq, was present on the track to support the runners. For Gold Star mother Lucy Dillon, hearing her son's name called out made the difficult holiday weekend bearable.

“It pierces your heart, but it makes your soul happy because people are remembering him,” Lucy Dillon shared. “We have had soldiers and Marines call us who have received awards in his name and want to live up to him. I always tell them to do their best, be safe, and take care of their buddies. That’s what being a soldier is all about. It’s not for the glory. My son didn’t go to war for that; he went there to keep us safe. It’s a hard weekend for us, but it’s also good for our souls. I told my husband I wouldn’t want to be any other place because it means a lot to hear his name called. You have a big hole when you lose a child. This does help.”

While the roster accounted for 99 miles, there was still one more to be run. Principal Sheldon Higgenbottom took to the track for the 100th and final mile, dedicating his laps to Prisoners of War (POWs). Carrying the American flag high, the experience of running those final miles firsthand completely reframed Higgenbottom's perspective on the depth of the event.

"It’s been surprising to me," Principal Higgenbottom reflected. "I knew what the event was, but I didn't truly understand the depth of what it meant until now. Hearing people make comments to me, like one gentleman who told me he choked up during his first-quarter mile because he started thinking about the people he’s lost. Then, doing the same thing myself, running out here holding the American flag and looking up... I thought, 'Wow, this is deeply touching.' It’s absolutely something we will continue to do."

For the students leading the charge, the gravity of the event left an unforgettable impression. Wyatt McDonald, a graduating senior at Midland Valley and the commanding officer for the NJROTC, expressed immense pride in how the community rallied together.

“It felt like everything is bigger than us, and we're hoping that this is going to start bringing awareness to all these brave men and women,” McDonald said. “Unfortunately, we are only running for the soldiers who were born in South Carolina, but we are hoping that they are more appreciated and more honored throughout the entire country. It really fills the soul... I think that a lot of the cadets of NJROTC, students, teachers, and family members truly feel what we're doing here, and they appreciate it for everything it's worth.”