Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) is helping sponsor Israeli soldiers to participate in a walk, run, and bike ride on Sept. 20, memorializing IDF’s fallen Druze soldiers.
The event takes place in the Lavi Forest in the Lower Galilee in northern Israel. The race will be near Nabi Shu’ayb, the most sacred site to Druze.
Thousands of runners and cyclists, families of fallen heroes and active-duty IDF soldiers will participate in the event, hosted by the organization B’Shvil HaBanim HaDruzim along with FIDF.
The route will feature 10-kilometer and 5-kilometer run portions, a 4-kilometer public-walk portion and a 25-kilometer bike ride.
This year marks the seventh annual event to commemorate Israel’s Druze soldiers who have lost their lives fighting in Israel’s wars and military operations. The race will wind through 18 Druze villages.
The Druze religious community is spread mainly across Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Israel’s Druze population numbers about 130,000, with many serving in the IDF and security forces.