HOULTON, Maine — He may be absent, but his spirit and memory live on through his family and friends as they finish their third annual Aaron Henderson Memorial Softball Tournament and first 5K Run/Walk.
Henderson, a sergeant first class in the U.S. Army and a Special Forces soldier from Hodgdon was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) in October 2012, while serving his country in Afghanistan.
Greg Johnson, a member of The Summit Project, stands with Chris Henderson as they display Aaron Henderson’s memorial stone.
(Gloria Austin)
Between the softball tournament and the 5K run/walk, $5,580 was raised to be given to the Wounded Warrior Project, with the race raising $1,888 and the softball tournament $3,750.
Saturday started with an opening ceremony at the softball field in Community Park. Scott Sjoberg, a close friend of Aaron Henderson, began the event with a few words.
“It does not seem like three years have passed,” he said. “Personally, it has been pretty tough these last few years whenever I think or talk about Aaron. It usually results in a lot of sadness and ends up in tears.
“He would tell me to enjoy the moment with friends and make new memories to have fun and enjoy life … to choose life,” Sjoberg added.
Henderson loved his life, his family, his friends and his country.
“He loved having fun and making memories with those he loved,” Sjoberg said. “He would not want us crying or fussing over him. He would want us to keep making memories, keep enjoying friends and family, keep living, keep smiling and make each other laugh like he could do so well.
“Aaron was a real hero,” he added. “Unlike what most people call heroes today, he is a real hero to many people, including myself. As a hero he personified many traits and characteristics worth emulating.
“Aaron had a kindness and gentleness about him,” Sjoberg continued. “He could make anybody feel like a somebody. He was so humble. He had achieved more than some of us would ever attempt.”
Whenever Sjoberg attempted to tell Henderson how proud he was of his friend’s accomplishments, Henderson would shrug it off and shift the focus back to Sjoberg.
Lorna Harris, right, and her father, James Troutt, carry stones from The Summit Project. Harris carries her son’s stone on the first Aaron Henderson Memorial 5K Run/Walk, while Trout carries a stone carved with the word endurance.
(Gloria Austin)
“He was humble, kind and selfless,” Sjoberg noted. “Aaron was courageous. His accomplishments in the Army’s Special Forces are among the best. He persevered through challenges we cannot fathom.
“I decided the best way for me to remember and honor Aaron is not to be sorrowful, but to choose life as Aaron would want me to,” Sjoberg added. “And in doing so, strive to emulate my hero by having the kindness, gentleness, caring, humbleness, love and courage characteristics that I admired in him. To pass his story to new friends I meet along the way … to love those that I surround myself with as he did. To make them feel like they are loved. To love life. To make new memories. To make each other laugh, smile and be a true friend.”
The softball tournament featured 10 teams and A.E.D. of Calais was declared the champion of the double-elimination tournament, as they went undefeated.
The first 5K run/walk drew about 90 participants, with Chris Rines of Houlton taking first place with a time
Martha Bell, right, holds up the stone from the Summit Project she is carrying on the Aaron Henderson Memorial 5K Run/Walk. The stones are hand picked by the family and engraved with the rank of a service man/woman, as well as their initials and date of birth and death. Volunteers literally share and appreciate the burden shouldered by fallen heroes and their families.Because The Summit Project is a Living Memorial each volunteer trekker must learn all they can about the fallen; (2)carry the stone through a physical challenge;and(3)compose a post-event reflection letter addressed to the family of the fallen.
(Gloria Austin)
of 19:05. The first female runner to finish was Rylee Warman of Houlton in 13th place with a time of 24:17.
The overall run/walk results are as follows: First, Rines, 19:05; second, Nick Lunn, 19:34; third, Isaiah Brown, 19:49; fourth, Bruce Clark, 22:04; fifth, Matthew Crane, 22:06; sixth, Joseph Ewings, 22:07; seventh, Robert Losieniecki, 23:04; eighth, Doug Bailey, 23:23; ninth, Shiloh Bond, 23:42; and 10th, tie, Jason Little and Tim Williams, 24:03; 12th, Logan Crone, 24:16; 13th, Rylee Warman, 24:17; 14th, Will Austin, 24:20; 15th, Angela Ewings, 24:45; 16th, Nathan Bouchard, 24:52; 17th, Teagan Ewings, 24:53; 18th, Aaron Anderson, 24:59; 19th, Donald Eno, 25:12; 20th, Emily Mooers, 25:37; 21st, Jason Szabo, 25:39; 22nd, Kiley Henderson, 26:06; 23rd, Taylor Reed, 26:26; 24th, Brian Griffin, 26:51; 25th, Isaac Potter, 27:03.
Also, 26th, Sam Lilley, 27:06; 27th, Nate Lilley, 27:09; 28th, Dustin Noonan, 27:11; 29th, Jeremy Stone, 27:12; 30th, Michael Bell, 27:17; 31st, Mia Henderson, 27:20; 32nd, tie, Chad Duff and Mikayla Wiley, 27:26; 34th, Adam Bell, 27:29; 35th, tie, no names, 27:36; 37th, tie, Heather Hanning and Darrell Hanning, 28:11; 39th, Hannah Sherman 28:14; 40th, Jason Parmelee, 28:24; 41st, Sarah Williams, 28:37; 42nd, Scott White, 28:41; 43rd, Adam Murchison, 28:45; 44th, Martha Bell, 28:54; 45th, Timothy Glatter, 28:55; 46th, Brent Bailey, 28:55; 47th, Madeline Anderson, 28:55; 48th, Kathy Lancaster, 29:04; 49th, Jacob Noonan, 29:04; and 50th, Daphne Nason, 29:14.
Runners and walkers take off from the starting line of the first Aaron Henderson Memorial 5K Run/Walk held last Saturday at Community Park.
(Gloria Austin)
Runners 51-75 are: 51st, Jonathan Kelley, 29:23; 52nd, Emily Dow, 29:27; 53rd, Callie Picard, 29:27; 54th, Kaitlyn Russell, 29:41; 55th, Sam Henderson, 30:12; 56th, Ronald Byron, 30:56; 57th, Theresa Griffin, 31:29; 58th, Julie Lilley, 31:36; 59th, Dale Freier, 31:56; 60th, Zachary Conley, 32:05; 61st, David Bates, 32:06; 62nd, Marissa Dow, 32:54; 63rd, Marie-Anne de Courcy, 33:09; 64th, Emmalyne Drake, 34:25; 65th, Jared Drake, 34:34; 66th, Grace Freier, 34:40; 67th, Barbara Lovely, 34:55; 68th, tie, Jen Conley and Brent Conley, 37:11; 70th, Melanie Griffin, 37:22; 71st, tie, Jake Drew and Ben Drew, 37:23; 73rd, Christopher Collins, 38:09; 74th, Sandra Straubel, 38:40; and 75th, Jennifer Gogan, 38:40.
Rounding out the race participants are: 76th, Marcie Noonan, 40:25; 77th, Tamara Goodrich, 40:29; 78th, Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick, 40:38; 79th, Terry Herrington, 46:09; 80th, David Goodrich, 46:30; 81st through 86th, no names, 46:30 to 53:04; and 87th, Christine Henderson, 53:32.
