Most of the time, ADS employees rely on their minds to support our military and veteran customer base.

But recently, VP of Finance Nick Casassa had us on our feet, running the 5K “Joggin’ for Frogmen” race in Virginia Beach to support the Travis Manion Foundation, which develops programs, training and events to empower veterans and families of the fallen.

“I ran it a few years ago and loved it,” Casassa said.

So, he decided to ask the company to sponsor an ADS team and allow employees to dedicate their paid volunteering day to the cause.

Done and done.

With the help of ADS Employee Engagement Manager Jordan Hall, the event was posted on employee boards and her weekly email updates, and more than a dozen ADS employees signed up to hit the ground running.

For Casassa, who joined ADS about 5 years ago, the race was the perfect fit for a guy who gets up every morning at 5:30 to run before work. He used to hate running, but after tearing his ACL playing soccer – twice – he needed another way to stay in shape. His wife, an avid half-marathoner, convinced him to join her, and he hasn’t stopped since.

Joggin’ for Frogmen started in San Diego in 2012 and has since expanded to several annual races across the United States, including here at the Beach. This year’s run marked the one-year anniversary of the Extortion 17 helicopter tragedy in Afghanistan, a tribute to the 30 American warriors and one working dog who lost their lives that day.