Giants Football Legend George Martin is Lacing Up for 9/11 Again

Former football star George Martin is once again showing a commitment to honor the victims and first responders of Sept. 11.

Martin has joined the inaugural 9/11 Memorial 5K Run/Walk and Family Day on April 21 in lower Manhattan. The former New York Giants co-captain, who completed a 9/11 charity walk from New York to California, is walking in the 5K to underscore the importance of public service and to support the 9/11 Memorial. To help preserve his story, he donated to the 9/11 Memorial Museum’s collection a pair of tennis shoes he wore during his coast-to-coast charity walk.

Registration for the 5K Run/Walk has sold out. But you can still sign up to become a Virtual Runner, which allows anyone to participate no matter where they are. Those who register as a Virtual Runner or supporter will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip to New York City and a guided tour of the 9/11 Memorial. Learn more at 911memorial.org/5K.

“The men and women who responded when duty called at Ground Zero are true American heroes,” said George Martin, founder and president of a Journey for 9/11. “Police, firefighters and emergency personnel raced towards the danger instead of away from it. It’s against human nature to run into danger, but those heroes did just that.”

On Sept. 16, 2007, Martin embarked on a charitable cross-country walking tour, “a Journey for 9/11.” Martin undertook the 3,003 mile expedition to call attention to the plight of ailing first responders and Ground Zero recovery workers in order to raise money for their medical care. When he arrived at his destination ten months later, on June 21, 2008, he had raised nearly $3 million for the cause, promoted media and public awareness about the plight of those responders, and worn through 27 pairs of sneakers.

This donation from Martin represents one of those well-travelled pairs that carried him across the country.

By Anthony Guido, 9/11 Memorial Communications Manager