The eighth annual Impact a Hero 5K was Saturday morning in Sugar Land, and Texans head coach Gary Kubiak again took part in the event. Kubiak sported a race bib with the number one on it, and enjoyed his run with the troops and hundreds of people there in support of the cause.
"You see a lot of faces here that I probably see once a year at this event," Kubiak said. "So it's good to see everybody out here. The soldiers that I get a chance to interact with, and always get to meet a few new faces every year, so it just continues to grow and that's just what the organization is all about, and they're heading in the right direction."
Center Chris Myers and his family also ran in the event, and after the race, he joined Kubiak in signing autographs and taking pictures with fans. Nearly two dozen Texans employees from various parts of the organization ran in the race, and organizers were hoping to raise more than the $350,000 they amassed in 2011. Kubiak's been involved in the event for seven years, and has seen a marked improvement each June.
"It's continued to grow," Kubiak said. "To just show support for our troops, the Texans organization has been exceptional from that standpoint. I look forward to it every year. It kind of ends our summer work as a football team and we kind of start thinking about training camp."
Before the race, several wounded troops were honored with a motorcade, reception and standing ovation. Seeing the men and women who are directly impacted by the money raised is an excellent reminder of the reason for the race, and Kubiak described why the event is special to him.
"I've got some family that have been very much involved," Kubiak said. "I've had opportunities to get involved in some various things throughout my career as a player and a coach. Last year, making the USO trip for me was very, very special and kind of hit home in a lot of ways. Just glad to be a part of it, and glad to support."
