Events - Nathan Benderson Park
On a Saturday morning in October, Nathan Benderson Park will become a place of remembrance, reflection, and forward motion.
By Edit Sarasota Staff
On a Saturday morning in October, Nathan Benderson Park will become a place of remembrance, reflection, and forward motion. The inaugural SPC Jonathan Bryant Memorial 5K Run/Walk invites Sarasota to honor the memory of a service member while bringing urgent attention to a crisis that too often remains out of sight: military suicide.
The event is organized in memory of SPC Jonathan Bryant, whose life and service have become the catalyst for a broader conversation about grief, prevention, and the responsibility of communities to stand beside those who have served. Proceeds will benefit 22TOOMANY.org, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring people lost to suicide, raising awareness of military suicide, and supporting those left to grieve.
A 5K can be many things—a race, a morning walk, a personal challenge—but in this setting, its meaning is deliberately communal. Participants may arrive carrying private stories: a family member who served, a friend navigating the aftermath of deployment, or someone whose loss still feels close. Others may come simply to learn, listen, and lend their presence. Together, they create a visible expression of support for military families and veterans, while helping direct resources toward an organization built around remembrance and care.
Nathan Benderson Park provides a fitting setting for the gathering. Known throughout the region as a destination for outdoor recreation and major sporting events, the park’s expansive landscape offers room for both movement and contemplation. Its paths and open views will frame an event that asks participants to do more than cover a distance: to carry a name, acknowledge a loss, and help make a difficult subject harder to ignore.
For Sarasota, a community shaped by military families, veterans, seasonal residents, and neighbors who routinely rally around meaningful causes, the memorial run offers a direct way to transform concern into action. Awareness begins with conversation, but it grows through sustained attention—and through showing up for one another.
The SPC Jonathan Bryant Memorial 5K Run/Walk takes place Saturday, October 17, 2026, at Nathan Benderson Park. Participants will gather to honor Bryant’s memory, support 22TOOMANY.org, and help ensure that those affected by military suicide are met with recognition, compassion, and practical support.