From a sightseeing trip of Chatham in an airplane to a weekend riding horses at Alliance Equestrian Center in Sandwich to a day of golf at Paul Harney Golf Club in East Falmouth, Chris Cummings has taken advantage of Heroes In Transition’s programs since he was introduced to the organization roughly three years ago.
“Personally, I have gotten a lot out of the organization, just being able to meet and bond with other veterans and service members,” he said. “They’ve helped me get through some stuff which is why I like doing things to give back to them because it is such a great organization.”
This weekend, Chris will run his second straight Falmouth Road Race in support of Heroes In Transition and to help strengthen the programs he has benefitted from. He has also run the past two Ruck4HITs, serving as captain of the Ruckin’ Seagulls, a team that consists of individuals serving in the Air National Guard as well as veterans.
“As long as I’m physically able to, I plan on doing these both every year to support HIT,” said Chris, who has served with the Air National Guard for the past 26 years and is stationed out of Joint Base Cape Cod.
He credits his wife of 21 years, Angel Cummings, with connecting him to HIT. “She had heard about them and she volunteered for the Ruck4HIT a couple of years ago,” he said.
From there, their affinity for HIT has only grown. They have celebrated Valentine’s Day together during an outing for military couples at Cape Gun Works in Hyannis. Angel has participated in several events for military spouses and is now a facilitator, helping to manage outings for other spouses.
Angel also is on the Ruck4HIT Organizing Committee. In last year’s Ruck4HIT, she drove for the Ruckin’ Seagulls and this year, she volunteered during the race.
While he grew up in Falmouth and currently lives in Mashpee, Chris never ran the Falmouth Road Race until last year. Now, he has started a tradition he hopes to continue for the foreseeable future. “Growing up here I always avoided the race because of the huge crowds and all the traffic,” he said. “Now that I’ve done it, I feel like I missed out on all those years. It is such a great event.”
Admittedly, Chris has never been much of a runner. “It is not really my thing, but I enjoy the Ruck plus it is a way to give back to a great organization,” he said. “The road race is also the same thing. I’m not a big runner, but when I finish the seven miles, I feel great I accomplished that and I’m also raising money for HIT.”
