For the third year in a row, the Cambria County Hero Hike will take place on Armed Forces Day, Saturday May 18.

“I thought it was a great opportunity to celebrate Armed Forces Day, celebrate those who are serving around the world in uniform, to kind of give people a taste of what our men and women are doing on a daily basis around the world,” said Josh Hauser, Cambria County Director of Veteran Services.

Josh Hauser, a former marine, says the 7.5 mile hike is a way for the community to come together and thank those who work to keep the country safe, as well as talk about their experiences overseas.

“You just never know who you’re going to bump into or the stories that you’re going to hear out on the trail, interacting with strangers, and again, like one of the key things is to share that proud military heritage that we have here in Cambria County, with our loved ones and with our community,” said Hauser.

Participants will travel on the ghost town trail from Nanty Glo to Ebensburg. Whether you walk or run, one county commissioner says this event is the community’s way to give back to our area’s veterans.

“It’s a true melting pot…walk, hike, people biking, and there’s some people that don’t even walk,” said Cambria County Commissioner Tom Chernisky. “They walk about the end for the walkers to come just to say ‘thank you’ and slap five.”

Pre-registration is open until May 3, but anyone can attend on the day of the hike.

Donations can be made to Veteran Community Initiatives Inc., in support of our local veterans.