BALDWINSVILLE — The passage of time can feel strangely slow or sped-up, especially for those who have lost a child. Lorie Schneider can attest to that.
“Time just literally flies by, but at the same time it totally stands still,” she said. “It feels like just minutes ago, two Marines pulled into my driveway, but it feels like an eternity since I felt that big bear hug and heard, ‘Hey, Mama.’”
It’s been over a decade since Lorie’s last hug and “Hey, Mama” from her son, Kyle, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2011 while serving in the Marines.
Lorie and Rick created the Cpl. Kyle R. Schneider Foundation in Kyle’s memory, and each year the foundation holds the Honor and Remember Run/Walk 5K to raise money for local veterans services and programs. The race falls on Armed Forces Day, which is traditionally observed the third Saturday in May. It also follows the anniversary of the day Kyle was awarded his first Purple Heart, May 18, 2011.
The pandemic forced the Schneiders to cancel the event in 2020, and the race went virtual in 2021, which would have been Kyle’s 10th “angel-versary,” Lorie said. While supporters shared their photos from afar, the Schneiders were eager to commemorate Kyle’s angel-versary in person as well as online. So this year’s 5K, which takes place May 21, is a hybrid event.
It takes a village
A 2006 graduate of Baker High School, Kyle Schneider joined the United States Marine Corps in 2008 after leaving Onondaga Community College. He wanted to give back to his community and his country.
“It’s my turn,” he told his parents.
Cpl. Schneider was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force — 2-8 for short. He was deployed to Afghanistan in January 2011 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Kyle was injured in May 2011 and insisted on returning to combat.
On June 30, 2011, Kyle was killed in Helmand Province by an improvised explosive device. He was 23.
After Kyle’s death, Rick and Lorie Schneider modeled the Cpl. Kyle R. Schneider Foundation’s programs after their son’s own passions: animals and the outdoors.
Kyle’s give-all attitude reflects the community he grew up in, Lorie said.
“Kyle is really an example of his teachers, his coaches, where he worked in the community, his friends,” she said. “He learned how to be a leader through Baldwinsville. There’s no place I would rather have had him experience [these lessons] than Baldwinsville.”
Even after his death, the Baldwinsville community has kept Kyle’s spirit alive. The town of Van Buren named the lodge at Van Buren Park after him, and the hill there favored by runners has been informally dubbed “Schneider Hill.”
Over the years, several Eagle Scout and Girl Scout Gold Award candidates have devoted their projects to the Schneider Foundation.
“The community really has adopted Kyle,” Lorie said.
Other Baldwinsville community members are pitching in at this year’s race. Dominic Samoraj’s Nic of Timing will be the official race timer, and former Boy Scout leader Paul Piston will be making and selling paracord bracelets. A student from Ray Middle School will sing the national anthem.
Paying tribute
This year’s Honor and Remember Run/Walk is about paying tribute to Kyle and his fellow fallen soldiers. Normally, the foundation chooses one “Honored Veteran” to highlight each year. This time, the spotlight is on all who served in Operation Enduring Freedom, or the Global War on Terrorism.
“Instead of honoring a specific veteran, we’re really honoring an era,” Lorie said. “It was the conflict Kyle served in, and all of our boots are home now.”
While President Barack Obama declared the end of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2014, U.S. troops remained in Afghanistan under Operation Freedom’s Sentinel until their final withdrawal on Aug. 30, 2021.
Kyle’s fellow Marines continue to uphold his legacy.
“We let one of the Marines that knew Kyle help us pick out the design of the shirt and on the back we’ll have his name, the branch he served in, and his ‘gave-all’ date,” Lorie said.
Returning to the Honor and Remember Run/Walk is chainsaw artist Anthony Marquez, who served in the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. Marquez carves Battlefield Crosses — a fallen soldier’s boots, rifle and helmet — out of wood. He has delivered carvings to the families of each of the 17 Marines with whom he served who were killed in Afghanistan.
Marquez’s brother, Manny Marquez, is a filmmaker who has been documenting Anthony’s journey.
“They’re going to do a documentary on the 17 men — the 16 from the 1-5 and Kyle from the 2-8 — who did not return,” Lorie said, adding that Manny Marquez will be filming part of the 5K.
“In the fall of 2021 … the 10th anniversary of the unit’s deployment, [Anthony] revisited all 17 families that received a carving. Along the way, he also touched base with Marines that made it home, like he did, and recounted their journey together,” reads the website for the documentary, xviicarvingsfilm.com. “This is the story of XVII Carvings. Doing the carvings, and meeting with all the families, has helped Anthony find healing, and this film continues that quest.”
For the first time, the race has a major sponsor: John’s Auto Care on Milton Avenue in Solvay. Other businesses, such as McDonald’s and Dunkin’, are contributing to race-day treat bags for adult participants and Happy Meal coupons for kids doing the fun run.
“Rick and I are just a conduit. It is really the Baldwinsville community that makes this happen,” Lorie said.
The in-person component of the Honor and Remember Run/Walk 5K takes place Saturday, May 21, at Van Buren Park (2607 Connors Road, Baldwinsville). The opening ceremony is at 7:30 a.m. and the run/walk begins at 8 a.m. Early-bird registration is $30 until May 15. To register, visit cplkyleschneider.com.
