Choose Your Mission for the 2016 Flying Fortress 5K | Mighty 8K at the Mighty Eighth Museum

POOLER, Ga. - Oct. 3, 2016 - PRLog -- Grab your running shoes and Choose Your Mission for the 7^th Annual Flying Fortress 5K | 2^nd Annual Mighty 8K! This year is gearing up to be the largest one yet thanks to some new sponsors and the support of some longtime ones.

The annual event supports the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force and all of its programs. Over 100,000 visitors, authors, historians and others visit each year from around the world, and with over 15,000 students visiting as part of their World War II curriculum, the museum plays a pivotal role in educating our youth not only about history but about character and the price of freedom.

The Museum is a Center for Character Education in the state of Georgia and the Character Counts! program works to instill core ethical values and good decision-making skills in young students. Every school in the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System has staff trained and Character Counts! is the standard Code of Conduct for the school system. They learn from the six foundational pillars of character, Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.

62,000 children are served annually, through Character Counts!, World War II education, Boy Scout & Girl Scout visits and families coming through and showing their children what the Eighth Air Force was all about.

"As the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force moves forward, we are always aware of the importance of continuing to share the stories of heroism with the next generation." Says Henry Skipper, President and CEO of the museum, "Our annual run is just one way we can make sure we continue to prosper so we can reach as many people as possible."

The race brings out runners of all ages and levels, and with two to pick from, you can Choose Your Mission to fit your level. This year the event is on Saturday, November 19 with the popular kid's run starting at 8:15 am, and the 5K|8K starting at 8:30 am at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force at 175 Bourne Avenue in Pooler. The run crosses over onto the JCB campus, and goes around the pond along I-95 before returning to the front of the Museum. We're excited to announce Service Brewing Co. will be here again at the end so runners can enjoy a cold one once they finish.

All runners will receive a t-shirt and runners who place will receive dog tags. This year's age groups are Male Overall, Female Overall, and Male/Female 1^st, 2^nd 3^rd place for the following age groups: 1-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80, 81-99.

The 2016 Flying Fortress 5K | Mighty 8K is brought to you by Optim Orthopedics and Bernard Williams. The Museum thanks the following companies for their support: Critz Auto Group, Dorsey Tire, Kinder Morgan, Navy Federal, Wow Toys, Culver Rug, White Electrical, JCB, Kennickell Printing, Mighty 8^th Media, Coke, and Service Brewing, Co. We are also proud to announce our media partners, WTOC- TV, Savannah Morning News, ESPN Radio and WRHQ.

About the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force preserves the stories of courage, character and patriotism displayed by the men and women of the Eighth Air Force from WWII to the present.  Minutes from Historic Savannah, the museum is located at 175 Bourne Avenue in Pooler and is open daily from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM, except on New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  For more information, visit http://www.mightyeighth.org or call (912) 748-8888.