About 500 members of the NC State community gathered to participate in a 2-mile run around campus Tuesday morning at about 6 a.m. to show their appreciation for veterans of the United States Armed Forces, according to Cadet Whitley Lewis, a junior studying criminology.

The event was organized by ROTC with the goal of coming together with the community to honor veterans, Lewis said.

The runners met at the Bell Tower at 5:45 a.m. to begin their run at 6:00 a.m., with participants including students from the Air Force, Navy and Army units of the ROTC as well as the NC State Baseball team and the Student Veteran’s Organization. 

The run was followed by a ceremony at the Bell Tower at 6:30 a.m., which included the laying of a wreath at the base of the Bell Tower. 

RDML Ralph “Benny” Suggs U.S. Navy (ret.), associate vice chancellor, NC State Alumni Relations, spoke at the event.

“Veterans Day is for honoring everyone that has served our country,” said Marvin Newlin, a sophomore studying mathematics and a member of the Air Force ROTC. “I’m going to be offering service one day as well so Veterans Day and the NC State’s run mean a great deal to me.” 

The event also included the Veterans Day Vigil, a tradition that has been in place for more than 30 years for the Arnold Air Society organization on campus. Between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., the Bell Tower is guarded by two Cadets to honor and show appreciation for veterans and the POW/MIA from all wars. 

The Bell Tower was originally built to serve as a memorial for NC State alumni who were killed during World War I.