Dozens of volunteers will gather at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent on Sept. 11, 2025 to clean headstones and honor fallen service members as part of a nationwide day of service led by the nonprofit Carry The Load.
Nearly 50 volunteers are expected to participate from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., organizers said.
The effort coincides with Patriot Day, which commemorates the nearly 3,000 lives lost in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as well as the sacrifices of first responders and service members in the years since.
The Kent event is one of nearly 70 cemetery cleanups scheduled across the country. Thousands of volunteers will participate in Carry The Load’s annual Patriot Day events at national cemeteries in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.
“Patriot Day is a powerful reminder of the courage and sacrifice shown by our first responders and military on 9/11 and beyond,” said Stephen Holley, co-founder, president and CEO of Carry The Load and a veteran U.S. Navy SEAL. “By coming together to serve our communities and honor stories of the fallen, we ensure their legacy lives on, and we remind ourselves that freedom is never free.”
Carry The Load, founded in 2011, organizes volunteer opportunities each Memorial Day, Patriot Day, and Veterans Day. The nonprofit’s mission is to honor and remember the sacrifices of military members, veterans, first responders, and their families.
“September 11th and the devastating aftereffects defined my generation’s military service,” said Danielle Applegate, Carry The Load ambassador and Army veteran. “Volunteering on Patriot Day with my family, friends, colleagues, and partners from the Department of Veterans Affairs each year ensures we remember the lives lost and continue to stoke the spirit of unity and sacrifice among all Americans.”
Registration for the Kent event and others nationwide is free at www.carrytheload.org.
About Carry the Load
Carry The Load is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 2011 by veteran U.S. Navy SEALs Clint Bruce and Stephen Holley. Carry The Load’s mission is to provide active ways to honor and remember our nation’s heroes by connecting Americans to the sacrifices made by our military, veterans, first responders, and their families. Carry The Load has earned a 4/4 Star rating on Charity Navigator and is a designated Combined Federal Campaign charity #20469. For more information, visit www.carrytheload.org. Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Tahoma National Cemetery is located at 18600 SE 240th Street, Kent, WA 98042:
