VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Every year, April 16 is a solemn but important day for Virginians and Virginia Tech alumni.
This Thursday marks the 13th anniversary of the massacre that killed 32 innocent people.To honor their memory, normally hundreds of people would be gathering in Blacksburg and running 3.2 miles, but the effects of COVID-19 are restricting that from happening.
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Instead, Hokies are getting creative to still add up the miles, but just in a different way. People are now being asked to track their mileage via the Stridekick app.
"You go and you click the link and it will take you to a place where you can download an app and that app allow you to log your miles. The objective this year is to be able to hit 32,000 miles between all of us virtually," says Chris Jennings, the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Tidewater Chapter President.
The best part is that you can participate wherever you are and at your own pace. Steps will be calculated on the app until April 18. The hope is that together, Hokie Nation can reach 32,000 miles.
"How do you take in and channel all that pain and that hurt and channel it into something positive? Because that’s what we do," Jennings says.
