LAKE MARY, Fla. - A young man who has garnered national attention for his tributes to law enforcement and first responders was in Central Florida on Friday to recognize an Orange County Sheriff's Office deputy and others who lost their lives to COVID-19.
Zechariah Cartledge is the founder of Running 4 Heroes Inc., a non-profit that raises awareness and funds for those fallen in the line of duty. He runs a mile every time a first responder dies in the line of duty.
He returned to the track to complete a 3-mile run to honor OCSO Deputy First Class Craig Seijos and others. Seijos died at the age of 54 in 2021 and had been with the Sheriff's Office for nearly three decades.
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"Craig dedicated much of his life to serving the residents of Orange County," said Sheriff John Mina at the time of his death. "We will always be grateful for his service and he will never be forgotten."
"We will always remember DFC Seijos, his service & his sacrifice," the sheriff's office tweeted on Friday as Cartledge conducted his honor run.
All together, 27 heroes were honored during Friday's run and all were associated with law enforcement including three corrections officers, one border patrol agent, and 23 police officers of deputies. In attendance were the children and coworkers of Seijos. Cartledge presented one of the flags used to the family following the run.
Starting next week, the remaining 26 flags will begin to work their way to the families of these heroes, Cartledge said.