mule lax teams participate in freedom run

On Saturday, both Muhlenberg lacrosse teams ran in Ashly’s 5K Race for Freedom at Lehigh Parkway for the second straight year. More than 60 Muhlenberg student-athletes participated in the event in support of a local woman who was killed in Iraq.

Ashly Moyer enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2003 and attended the Military Police School in Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., graduating in March 2004. Her first assignment took her to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where she served as a prison guard. After spending about a year at home, Ashly returned to active duty. She was stationed in Bamberg, Germany, for five months before being sent to Iraq. She was assigned as a driver and was very proud of her vehicle.

She was promoted to sergeant shortly before she died in Baghdad on March 3, 2007, when an IED exploded under the armored patrol vehicle she was driving. Ashly was 21 years old. She is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Section 60, an area devoted to the soldiers of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ashly had a tremendous impact on everyone who knew her. She was a respected soldier and a beloved daughter, sister and friend.

It is that love that inspired “Ashly’s 5K Race for Freedom, A Soldier’s Legacy.” A portion of the proceeds from the race will benefit the Ashly Moyer Memorial Scholarship Fund, established at Emmaus High School, her alma mater. The majority of the proceeds will be donated to The Lehigh Valley Blue Star Mothers, a group that supports our troops and veterans. It is the race organizers’ hope that through Ashly’s sacrifice, they will be able to make a difference in the lives of others who are committed to keeping America free.

Click here for more information on the race.

Muhlenberg again drew the praises of other participants. One wrote: “This past Saturday was my first 5K race and it was wonderful to see the Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse Teams there. This was a great cause for Ashly Moyer and a great remembrance of other military service personnel. At 53 years old, I am still trying to recuperate from the race but seeing Muhlenberg students there kept me going. GO MUHLENBERG LACROSSE!! Thank you to the coaches for inspiring their teams.”