Iowa and Florida come together for fallen ASP employees

     On Tuesday, March 30, one week after two Anamosa State Penitentiary employees lost their lives while on duty, Anamosa and Jones County community members came together to honor Corrections Officer Robert McFarland and Nurse Lorena Schulte.

     A hundred or so gathered at the Anamosa Community School District track at 6 p.m. to walk in memory of McFarland and Schulte. At the same time, 12-year-old Zechariah Cartledge of Winter Springs, Fla., also ran a mile at his school track in memory of McFarland (7 p.m. Eastern Time).

     Cartledge developed a passion for running at the age of 5, and has always held a deep respect for first responders. In 2019, Cartledge started a non-profit called Running 4 Heroes. Cartledge runs 1 mile for every fallen police officer, firefighter, and U.S. border patrol member “who makes the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. He wants to honor those who gave up their life so that we may live in a better world.” On March 30, Cartledge ran his 865^th mile for McFarland.

     Coordinating efforts in Anamosa was Ron Slagle, of Marion, with Honor & Respect. This organization started in 2018. Slagle is a member of the Marion Police Department and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. The mission of Honor & Respect is to “let our first responders know that they are not alone.”

     “It’s about focusing on the families of McFarland and Schulte, that their loved ones are honored and not forgotten,” said Slagle.

     To kick off the community run/walk on March 30, Jones County Chief Deputy Brian Eckhardt and DOC (Department of Corrections) Training Specialist Mike Duncan ran from the Anamosa State Penitentiary, each carrying the American Flag and the Iowa DOC flag. Once they arrived at the track, members of the DOC took turns running a lap as they passed the flag in memory of their fallen brother, Robert McFarland.

     Those present, including members of various Jones County fire departments, ambulance services, and the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, walked around the track as well to show their support.

     Cartledge was joined in his run by representatives from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the Winter Springs Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and first responders from Syracuse, N.Y.

     “We hope this run means as much to the families (of McFarland and Schulte) as possible,” Cartledge said.

     Like Eckhardt and Duncan, Cartledge ran carrying an American Flag with a combination red and blue stripe, representing McFarland’s service as an officer and volunteer firefighter in Ely, Iowa. He said the flag would be sent to McFarland’s family.

     “To the families of McFarland and Schulte, I hope you heal soon from the hard time you’re having to go through,” offered Cartledge. “What happened on March 23 was such a sad story. It was a terrible incident. My prayers are with all of them.”

     At the end of Cartledge’s mile run, those present in Florida stood in silence for 27 seconds. That represented McFarland’s 13 years in service and Schulte’s 14 years.

     Cartledge thanked those in Iowa for supporting his efforts with Running 4 Heroes, including the Iowa State Sheriffs’ & Deputies’ Association, who are contributing sponsors.

     “Please send some encouragement to the Iowa Department of Corrections,” urged Cartledge, “because they’ve had quite a hard time.”

     You can support Honor & Respect by visiting https://honor-respect.com/. You can support Running 4 Heroes by visiting https://running4heroes.org/.