The 11th Annual Krawl’n For The Fallen event, held at the Keystone Heights Airport, honored fallen police officers, K-9s, fire, and military personnel.
The event was a fun-filled weekend packed with action, featuring displays from various police and fire departments, motorcycles, boats, helicopters, and K-9 units. Participants enjoyed food, participated in raffles, listened to music, and visited vendors, all while having the opportunity to take photos with iconic Star Wars Stormtroopers.
Jeeps or other 4×4 vehicles had opportunities for trail riding and navigating obstacle courses, all while paying tribute to fallen police officers, firefighters, and military personnel who dedicated their lives to protecting the community while on duty. At the end of the final ride of the evening, each vehicle honored the fallen and supported their families by displaying blue and red lights and flags in their honor.
“We’ve invited survivors out, law enforcement agencies, the community out to enjoy a weekend of fun, jeeping, off-roading, side-by-sides, trucks out on the trails, and raffles. It’s just a great weekend to come out and hang out,” said Christine Johnson, Co-founder, CEO.
Friday night kicked off with the awards for first and second place in the Show and Shine category. Saturday began with an opening ceremony, followed by a moment of silence ride at 1 PM to recognize the survivors of fallen first responders and their supporters. The night concluded with a memorial ride for survivors.
According to Off-Road United, Krawl’n For The Fallen is one of the most significant off-road events in Florida. This year, over 2,000 participants showcased their jeeps, trucks, and 4×4 vehicles, bringing together first responders and the community for a day of fun.
“Thank you to everybody for coming out, enjoying the weekend with us, and showing their support for our current law enforcement, first responders, for what they do, putting their lives on the line every day for us, and showing support for those that we’ve lost,” she said.
Attending this year were representatives from the Bradford County Fire Rescue, the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Customs, Border Protection, Florida State Guard, Alachua County Sherriff Office, and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
“Krawl’n for the Fallen donates money to concerns of police survivors. The benefit of coming out here is the honor and the opportunity to meet the survivors. The money we raise goes to help families get the counseling and support that they need when there’s an officer killed in the line of duty,” Johnson said.
For more information about the event or to donate, please visit offroadunited.org.
