Beginning on September 11th to honor those lost to the World Trade Center attacks, the Great American Relay is making its way from Boston to Santa Monica, California to raise money for first responders and members of the military.

Monday’s schedule brought the relay from Branford, Connecticut to the World Trade Center Memorial in Lower Manhattan in ten separate stages - with stages 26 and 27 connecting at Westport Fire Department Headquarters at around 10:30 yesterday morning.

Local runners who volunteered to carry the baton from Bridgeport Fire Department Headquarters to its handoff in Westport were: J Lucas, Nancy Wilson, Kelly Konstanty, Lisa Goldstein, Karla Cohen, Lauren Leppla, Kenji Ogawa, and Lead Runner Ken Gallagher. The group handed the baton off to Barbara Campbell, Elizabeth Hofmann, and Lead Runner Jeffrey Wollman who carried it to Darien’s hand-off point.

In total, 58 runners helped get the baton from Branford to the World Trade Center Memorial by Monday night.

This morning the red baton will continue its journey West - with an expected arrival at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s City Hall late tonight with the help of several dozen more volunteers. By the time the baton reaches that West Coast - it will have traveled through 415 stages totaling 3,500 miles for nearly 40 days with the help of hundreds of volunteer runners.

To learn more about The Great American Relay or to find a stage to run with, click here: greatamericanrelay.com