Registration Open For City’s First Ever Remembrance Ruck Honoring Veterans
The walk will start at 9 a.m. on September 13 at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn and proceed across the Brooklyn Bridge with participants carrying a weighted ruck sack .
| 21 Aug 2026 | 05:50
The first city sponsored Remembrance Ruck, which honors the military, will be held on September 13. Registration is now open. (
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Registration is now open for the Remembrance Ruck, the first New York City-sponsored walk honoring veterans and members of the military. Participants will carry the names of a fallen service member from the post-9/11 period in a weighted ruck pack on a 2.5 mile trek.
“Rucking holds a special meaning within the military community,” said Yesenia Mata, who heads the city’s Department of Veterans Service. “For so many of our veterans, carrying a ruck was part of their everyday service, a symbol of endurance, resilience, and carrying the mission forward together.”
The Ruck, slated for September 13, will kick off at 9 a.m. at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn. Walkers will then cross the Brooklyn Bridge to Foley Square.
The link can be found here: https://www.nyc.gov/site/veterans/community/remembrance-ruck.page.
The Ruck replaces a former ticker tape parade called “Homecoming of Heroes” that former Mayor Eric Adams had planned. The change was tied to a budget cut for veterans events made by the Mamdani Administration. The cut had stirred some controversy among some veterans, according to Military.com.
The Ruck is open to active-duty service members, reservists, veterans, caregivers, military families as well as civilians who want to help support military endeavors.
A resource fair will then be held at Surrogate’s Court, the city says, where veterans or those taking care of them can receive help in accessing the following services: mental health care, housing, benefits, financial assistance, and community assistance.
“New York City would not be complete without the countless contributions, courage and conviction of the service members, veterans and families who call our City home,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement. “The Remembrance Ruck will bring New Yorkers together to honor and support the people who have served and continue to serve our country and city.”
“We are grateful to our veterans and their families for their sacrifice, and our administration will continue working to ensure they have the support and resources they deserve,” he added.
The event is co-sponsored by the New York Roadrunners Club.