TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Loved ones left behind took a walk Saturday morning in honor of those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom in a Carry the Load Walk.

Strapped to many of the participants’ shoulders during the walk are weighted backpacks, representing the heaviness that comes with losing someone.

“It’s a symbolic measure,” said Tony Brighter, event coordinator for Carry the Load. “You’re basically wanting to make sure they’re honored.”

“Every person dies two deaths in their lifetime,” said Mia McGurl, with Carry the Load. “One when they actually pass away and again whenever someone stops telling their stories, so that’s why it’s important to get people out here talking. That’s how those families heal and how we can spread their story as well.”

The national non-profit is aiming to give Memorial Day the significance it deserves by observing the entire month of May.

Each backpack is decorated to honor a servicemember who gave their life to help others.

“It gives us the opportunity to see that we’re not in it alone,” said Gregory Hicks, a first-time participant in the walk. “We’ve all had to experience it one way or another. That camaraderie that comes from it – being able to talk about it, shared experiences.”

The walk covered 1.7 miles in Veterans Memorial Park. Participants may carry an amount of weight in their bags, or even just a photo to represent a life lost too soon.

“Not having him around, it was hard when I lost him,” Hicks spoke of his uncle, who was in the military. “As I age and everything you realize, I really never lost him. I carry a piece of him wherever I go. It’s always going to be a part of me.”

Some people know the person they’re carrying personally. Others take the walk for someone else, but organizers say most importantly, they share their stories so their memories can live on – and their loved ones can heal.

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