Flags4Fallen honors Kaylin Gillis in half marathon

ALBANY, N.Y. ( NEWS10 ) — Hundreds of runners raced from New Scotland to Albany during the Helderberg to Hudson half marathon on Saturday. Some runners raced for a cause.

Flags4Fallen, a running community that carries American flags across the finish lines of races to honor fallen Americans, honored Kaylin Gillis, of Schuylerville, at Saturday’s half marathon. A year ago on Monday, Gillis was shot and killed after a car she was in accidentally drove up the wrong driveway in Washington County.

Michael Newhouse and Andy LaPorta, runners of Flags4Fallen, spoke with NEWS10’s Jack McCarty about the way they honored Gillis. “We run for these families in their time of ultimate grief,” Newhouse said. “There’s really no words for what you can say to them, but they appreciate a day that is about celebrating their life when they were with us.”

LaPorta felt that this race was especially hard. “She still had her whole life ahead of her,” he states.

Newhouse said he always gives the medal he earns in the races to the families of the fallen. The flag he ran with will also be given to the Gillis family with the medal and a letter letting the family know how the day went.

“They went out that day to have a fun day and it ended horribly. Whenever you leave for someone that day, or work even, you don’t know if it’s gonna be the last time,” LaPorta says as he reminds people to be grateful. “Always appreciate the people you are around.”

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